Journey in Progress
Discovering music one album at a time
744
Albums Rated
2.85
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15
5-Star Albums
68%
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345 albums remaining
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744
Written
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36
1-Star Albums
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You Love More Than Most
Albums you rated higher than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Millions Now Living Will Never Die | 5 | 2.87 | +2.13 |
| Kollaps | 4 | 1.9 | +2.1 |
| Tubular Bells | 5 | 3.1 | +1.9 |
| Spy Vs. Spy: The Music Of Ornette Coleman | 4 | 2.22 | +1.78 |
| The Seldom Seen Kid | 5 | 3.26 | +1.74 |
| Tommy | 5 | 3.35 | +1.65 |
| Ágætis Byrjun | 5 | 3.37 | +1.63 |
| Bat Out Of Hell | 5 | 3.45 | +1.55 |
| Blue | 5 | 3.49 | +1.51 |
| OK | 4 | 2.57 | +1.43 |
You Love Less Than Most
Albums you rated lower than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| To Pimp A Butterfly | 1 | 3.61 | -2.61 |
| Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) | 1 | 3.61 | -2.61 |
| Straight Outta Compton | 1 | 3.51 | -2.51 |
| Ready To Die | 1 | 3.37 | -2.37 |
| Fear Of A Black Planet | 1 | 3.34 | -2.34 |
| The Chronic | 1 | 3.33 | -2.33 |
| The Stooges | 1 | 3.26 | -2.26 |
| The Renaissance | 1 | 3.24 | -2.24 |
| Apocalypse 91… The Enemy Strikes Black | 1 | 3.23 | -2.23 |
| Step In The Arena | 1 | 3.17 | -2.17 |
5-Star Albums (15)
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Popular Reviews
Gang Starr
1/5
"In 2007, it was named the greatest hip hop album of all time by IGN"
Christ almighty....
5 likes
Kendrick Lamar
1/5
This kind of music continues to sound like pure filth to me. Vulgar, obnoxious, thug life garbage. Complete and utter shite.
Yes, I acknowledge that within the genre this album is considered one of the all-time greats. I'm certain it possesses rich cultural heritage. I also recognized the quality of the jazz-influenced instrumentation. But altogether this culture is so alien to me, and I've heard enough of it through this project, to affirm to myself that nothing can ever be done to allow my ears to appreciate such sonic abhorrence.
4 likes
Napalm Death
1/5
I can appreciate from a music discovery perspective that this album made this list, but let's get real, this kind of abrasive, face-melting noise is extremely niche and surely only truly enjoyed by those who grace the lower 1% on the music enjoyment bell curve.
2 likes
Megadeth
1/5
I'm absolutely not in the mood for this shit today
2 likes
Christina Aguilera
2/5
Christina, Mariah, it’s all the same wibbly-wobbly whiny vocal gymnastics garbage. Yeah she’s talented but this kind of music grinds my gears.
2 likes
4-Star Albums (126)
1-Star Albums (36)
All Ratings
The Smiths
2/5
Quite a mediocre album from my perspective. I never really got into The Smiths aside from their 2 or 3 hits and this album didn’t particularly encourage me to try more.
Paul Simon
2/5
I wasn’t particularly moved by it. Me & Julio is the standout track. I understand it’s a classic but it’s just not my cup of tea
Steely Dan
3/5
I recently spun Aja after many, many years, which I was reminded about from a recommendation at r/classicrock. People raved about it there but I didn't personally see the huge appeal, I thought it was good quality background music but not much more than that. I was skeptical coming into Pretzel Logic but I ended up enjoying it much more than Aja. It flowed better and made much more of a sonic impact. I would listen again, and might explore more of Steely Dan in the future.
Nick Drake
4/5
The first album along my 1001 journey that I felt a good connection with. I've spun a dozen Nick Drake songs in the past but never really explored his discography. Five Leaves comprises the type of reflective folk music perfect for an autumnal Sunday morning brunch-making session. I connected most with Man In A Shed, its chord progression spoke to me; lyrically you can appreciate Drake's yearning for an unrequited love. It led me to learn more about him and his short life... such a tragedy to lose a talent so young to depression.
The Clash
2/5
Wikipedia says The Clash was billed as "The Only Band That Matters". Bullshit.
Nas
3/5
I'm not a big hip hop fan but I appreciated Illmatic more than I thought I would. I definitely prefer old-school 90's rap compared to what comes out today, the bars of yesteryear seem a lot more genuine. No particular standout track to me, it was quality and consistent the whole way through. I give it 3 stars but more because it's not really my jam; I can imagine a lover of the genre would award it 5 for its mastery. I would listen to Nas again.
The Crusaders
4/5
If this isn't a smooth introduction to an album, I don't know what is. I instantly knew based on the first 10 seconds leading into Street Life that this was going to be some good stuff!
I'd never heard of The Crusaders before but it left me wanting more. I'm still fairly new into this project but this is for sure my favourite album I've listened to so far.
2/5
Alas, no story from either the city or the sea pulled enough at the cockles of my heart to offer a "Wow" moment. PJ Harvey is of course to be respected as a musician and songwriter but her style is just not for me.
Jane's Addiction
2/5
I wasn't struck by the alt-rock vibes initially, but the album took an unexpected turn from track 6 onwards and I began to take notice. A quick Google led me to learn the final 4 tracks were in memoriam of the lead singer's girlfriend who had died of a heroin overdose. Harrowing stuff.
Of Course was the standout track with its Middle Eastern influences. Classic Girl with its acoustic undertones came a close second.
It's tough to rate this one, I feel 2 is too low and 3 is too high. I'm sticking with 2 for the pure fact that their style is not really my cup of tea, but I can absolutely respect the musicianship, songwriting and sentiment behind this record.
Radiohead
4/5
Radiohead is a band that, for some reason, I've largely ignored over the years. Looking over my Last.FM profile, I've only ever spun 5 tracks from The Bends over the past decade, never the full album.
I was impressed by its two strong openers, Planet Telex and the title track, leading me nicely into a state of sonic familiarity with High and Dry and Fake Plastic Trees, both of which I enjoy and are true 90's classics. From here on, I was engaged and invested. I relished in this album more than I thought I would. A solid 4/5.
Little Richard
3/5
This collection of songs would have been lifechanging to hear in 1957. I can't imagine the shock of hearing Little Richard's ferocity against the clean-cut stars of the times - the polished harmonies of the Everly Brothers or the baritone of Perry Como. It's dated by today's standards but altogether an interesting step back to one of the original rock & rollers.
I watched an interview with Jimmy Barnes recently where he claimed Little Richard was one of his strongest musical influences as he grew up. Indeed, while listening to Here's Little Richard, it stuck me how Barnesy ended up with the vocal style he's so well known for today.
Ms. Dynamite
1/5
I'm sorry, Ms. Dynamite, I see you won the Mercury Music Prize for this album, but alas, this style of music is simply not compatible with my eardrums
Bill Evans Trio
4/5
A very smooth and highly listenable live recording. I learnt that the bassist on this album, Scott LaFaro, was one of the most influential jazz bassists of all time, who sadly died in a car accident 11 days after the concert. I’ll be listening to more Bill Evans in the future for sure.
Beach House
2/5
I saw one track by Beach House, Space Song (from a different album), is approaching 1 billion streams on Spotify, so I thought I'd be in for something relatively mindblowing. In reality, I thought Teen Dream was decent, chill background music, with no particular standout track or impactful moment. I wouldn't give it a second spin.
Haircut 100
3/5
Some good 80's British pop/funk going on here. Lemon Firebrigade was the standout track, my ears pricked up at the timbre of this instrumental. I won't give the album a repeat spin but wouldn't complain hearing a couple of tracks here & there. It's just getting over the line for a 3 star score.
Talvin Singh
4/5
This is great!! The first track, Traveller, was a curious introduction. The following piece, Butterfly, really made my ears stand to attention; I remained delighted throughout. OK is well-deserving of the 1999 Mercury Music Prize. Talvin Singh was a true breath of fresh air with his contemporary Indian / drum & bass fusion. A wonderful discovery via this project.
The Cure
2/5
The Cure is not for me. There was very little about Seventeen Seconds that appealed to me. Even the most popular track, A Forest, barely raised an eyebrow. Next.
Duran Duran
3/5
I’ve had a few 80’s classics so far along this journey and haven’t really enjoyed them; I was guessing I’d feel the same about Rio but I was pleasantly surprised. I was familiar with Hungry Like The Wolf and the title track, and was happy that the remaining tunes were of similar quality and not just filler material. Probably won’t spin it again in a hurry but it was decent while it lasted.
Prince
3/5
Never listened to a Prince album in full before. Dude was talented beyond belief, without any question of a doubt, but I can’t personally get into him. 1999 was alright.
Alice In Chains
3/5
Decent grunge record which I'd never listened to in full before. Consistent from start to finish. Grunge is not my favourite genre but I can understand its appeal.
The Electric Prunes
2/5
Despite being such an influential act from the 60's, I somehow missed the Electric Prunes up until now, and I would have been perfectly content to have continued missing them. Didn't care for this album at all.
Korn
2/5
I remember being exposed to Koᴙn in my early high school years and hating them with a passion. I've widened my musical tastes since then and can tolerate them more these days, even tapping my feet to Got The Life out of familiarity. Follow The Leader wasn't as awful as I recall from 25 years ago but it's still too heavy and obnoxious for my overall liking.
Tom Tom Club
2/5
The typewriters that opened Wordy Rappinghood may have caught my attention but this Talking Heads side project didn't win me over.
Nine Inch Nails
2/5
Noisy and irritating. Some familiarity with Closer and Hurt but I wasn't touched by any others.
Sleater-Kinney
2/5
Nothing remarkable here, although I can see where Australian band, The Grates, got their influence from
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
3/5
Immediately before rating my previous album I thought to myself "It'd be nice to get Tom Petty" - imagine my shock when his debut appeared on my screen. And a solid debut it was.
Herbie Hancock
4/5
This is music of a true genius. I loved the barbaric Rhodes solo on Chameleon. The intro to Watermelon Man stunned me, even more so after learning it's the noise of Bill Summers blowing air into beer bottles. Great stuff.
Donovan
2/5
I remember dad listening to Donovan when I was a kid so I was expecting some nostalgic feels, but I didn't dig Sunshine Superman as much as I thought I would.
Suicide
1/5
Awful. Would never listen to this again
Fairport Convention
2/5
Uninspiring
George Harrison
3/5
I went into All Things Must Pass anticipating a 4 or perhaps even the coveted 5 star rating, but I was disappointed it didn’t give me those kind of feels. It’s more a reluctant 3 in my opinion. The singles are phenomenal but the remaining tracks, most of which I was unfamiliar with, didn’t have the same pulling power.
Amy Winehouse
4/5
Clearly one of the greatest soul vocalists of our generation. This album can do no wrong. Only God knows the songs Amy would have continued to sing, had she been able to battle her demons.
Buzzcocks
1/5
Garbage to my ears. The most aggravating album I’ve listened to so far through this project.
Curtis Mayfield
3/5
I've somehow avoided listening to any Curtis Mayfield since I started recording my stats on Last.FM 11 years ago; it was much to my delight to discover him today. Billy Jack was a pleasantly funky way to start my Monday. The sweetness of So In Love made its way onto my playlist. Although not a genre I'd listen to every day, I give this a strong 3/5 and would be happy for another Mayfield record to appear in the list.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
A classic. Enjoyed this Creedence collection, especially the tracks you don't hear so much on FM Radio, like The Night Time Is The Right Time.
Franz Ferdinand
3/5
This is some well-seasoned rock. Franz Ferdinand have a magical ability to structure their songs in a way that's genuinely interesting - these aren't just 3-chord throwaways.
Cornershop
3/5
Loved the accordion opening, a pretty solid record all round
David Bowie
3/5
A quality lineup of songs with extremely good production. I was drawn to the drums through the course of this album, they sounded crisp, tight and interesting.
Mylo
4/5
I went into this with all the skepticism thinking it's going to be some kind of dance music BS which I won't enjoy, but I was very wrong. I loved it and was engaged the whole way. Crazy that this is his only album.
Flamin' Groovies
2/5
Standard 70's blues/rock, nothing special here
Various Artists
3/5
Pure class, from the mere inclusion of Darlene Lowe’s Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
Pavement
2/5
Nah, not for me.
Meat Loaf
5/5
One of the all-time classics. I'll never tire of listening to Bat Out Of Hell. RIP Meat Loaf.
Talk Talk
2/5
Very typical 80's British new-wave, not a genre I particularly enjoy and I didn't think there was a standout track. Life's What You Make It is clearly the most popular from the album but it didn't do anything for me.
Otis Redding
3/5
So many soul classics here. A smooth and nostalgic listening experience
The Incredible String Band
1/5
Pure hippie tripe. The abstract hilarity behind lyrics such as “he can't dream well because of his horns” followed by a choir of moos was not enough to redeem itself from a single star. Awful.
The Modern Lovers
2/5
I see The Modern Lovers were a band of all-stars who went on to form the likes of Talking Heads and The Cars, and this collection of numbers was very well critically acclaimed at the time, but it sounded bland and forgettable to me. Not sure why such hype.
N.W.A.
1/5
I have a a few words to say about this. Rap / hip-hop isn't something I've ever been into but part of the reason I went into this project was to gain exposure to the best artists of these genres I'd normally avoid. I've had an album by Nas already, which I thought was half-decent, and I'd heard that N.W.A. were the real deal, so I was kinda pumped to spin Straight Outta Compton.
I set out on a 12km walk around town with AirPods in ear and openness in my mind, but it was barely a kilometre and three songs before I audibly laughed at its thematic ridiculousness:
"Dumb-ass hooker ain't nuttin' but a dyke
Suddenly I see, some n****s that I don't like
Walked over to em, and said, "Whassup?"
The first n**** that I saw, hit em in the jaw"
Another laugh came later on in the record:
"I think with my ding-a-ling, but I won't bring no
Flowers to your doorstep, when we goin' out
'Cause you'll take it for granted, no doubt
And after the date, I'ma want to do the wild thing
You want lobster, huh? I'm thinking Burger King"
I need to make it clear that my laughter was not out of humour, rather at just how foreign, incelious and absurd these concepts are to me.
I get that this album tells the story of a lifestyle completely alien to that of my own; it holds historical and cultural significance with this in mind. But honestly, to my ears, N.W.A. sound like wannabe gangsters masquerading as a comedy sextet.
Rage Against The Machine
2/5
Quite an aggressive collection of tunes. Not my jam.
Robbie Williams
3/5
I'm a big fan of Robbie but this is one of his weaker records. Of course it's adorned by his beloved Angels; aside from a handful of other minor hits I hear a fair amount of filler. Still a very worthwhile play though.
Ali Farka Touré
3/5
Chill African blues tunes, some quality chops here, perfect with a whisky on Sunday evening
Simon & Garfunkel
2/5
For such a well-known, classic album by one of the all-time greatest musical duos, I didn't rate Bookends at all. It's certainly not bad but it didn't move me in any way.
Little Simz
3/5
The last rap album I got here was god awful so I went into Grey Area with heavy skepticism, but you know what, it turned out to be pretty damn good. Little Simz is the standout rapper along this project so far.
Stevie Wonder
3/5
Good easy listening soul. Not enough synthesizer.
The Smiths
3/5
I was impressed with the stark contrasts between songs on this album while all still retaining distinct Smiths-like characteristics. For example, the desperation of The Queen Is Dead compared with the upbeat, slightly comical Frankly Mr. Shankly. This was my second Smiths record and it's certainly the better of the two.
The Divine Comedy
3/5
Decent music but nothing too inspirational aside from the guitar line in I'm All You Need which captured my attention.
KISS
3/5
I forgot how great a song Shout It Out Loud was
Brian Eno
2/5
Definitely suitable for airports
Elton John
3/5
I really liked the second track, Levon, I haven’t paid much attention to that song in the past.
Megadeth
2/5
Toi aggressive for my liking but had some good old school metal vibes
Bob Marley & The Wailers
2/5
Not so many smash hits on this one. Stir It Up was the only song I recognized. I thought it was quite a weak record.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Bonus point for incredible cover art
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
I have fond memories of Into My Arms from my teenage years but I never heard it as part of its full collection until yesterday. A wonderful, beautifully melancholic journey.
Primal Scream
2/5
A bit too much noise which I wasn’t particularly fond of
Jurassic 5
2/5
Ok to spin in the background, not for me as a main event
The White Stripes
3/5
No surprises here. I’m familiar with the White Stripes’ biggest songs, and this collection sounds exactly what I thought a White Stripes album would sound like.
Aerosmith
3/5
I prefer 90’s Aerosmith to 70’s Aerosmith. It was a decent rock album worthy of three stars but it didn’t fully engage me. Sweet Emotion is the standout track.
The Byrds
3/5
A good exercise in consistency, there is an incredibly similar tone between all songs
OutKast
2/5
Not my cup of tea
Beck
3/5
I’m surprised how much I enjoyed this record. I’ve largely avoided Beck, I’ve thought his music not to be particularly interesting and I saw him live once but left unamused. Yet, I fondly recognized two tracks from this album (E-Pro and Girl) which I didn’t even realize were Beck songs. My thoughts on him have changed a bit; maybe I’ll explore more.
Hüsker Dü
2/5
One or two curious moments but the album felt overall too long and uninteresting
Minor Threat
1/5
Supposedly a very influential punk album but all it did for me was reaffirm punk is not suited for my ears
Carole King
4/5
Terrific artful poetry, especially satisfying tunes reminiscing yesteryear
The Notorious B.I.G.
1/5
Didn’t enjoy anything about this. It’s not at the bottom of the barrel like NWA are but still an easy 1 star.
2Pac
3/5
I have a really strange relationship with the hip hop albums I’ve been listening to via this project. I hated NWA with a passion and I really didn’t care for Notorious BIG, so I went into 2Pac thinking he’d receive a similar low rating. But I was surprised. The songs here had a certain maturity which I haven’t recognized elsewhere. Dear Mama was the standout track for me, this is the kind of storytelling song I love; probably the first time I’ve connected with such a song in this genre.
Fela Kuti
3/5
A pretty enjoyable and upbeat jazz record
Lightning Bolt
3/5
Very noisy but it was arranged in a way that I liked it. I even found it a little meditative
The Beach Boys
4/5
A true classic. Such rich harmonies. Love it.
Bob Dylan
3/5
Bobby D is one of those classic artists I’ve never really cared for, but I didn’t mind sitting through the entirety of this album. The closer, It’s All Over Now Baby Blue, was the standout. I don’t think I’ve ever heard the original before.
Depeche Mode
3/5
It was ok but too new wavy for my liking and a bit too long. I enjoyed the instrumentals.
The Everly Brothers
3/5
An innocent, easy-listening record. Impeccable harmonies. Love Hurts was my pick of the bunch.
Neil Young
3/5
The album was a bit hit & miss until Ambulance Blues. Something about that song elevated it from a 2 to 3 star
Pulp
3/5
Decent alt rock
Don McLean
3/5
It was my first time listening to the album in full and it was a pleasant, easy-listening experience. Crossroads was a particularly beautiful piece which I wasn't previously familiar with. Of course the title track and Vincent are the standouts, but as nice as the remaining songs were, I wouldn't rush into a repeat listen... having said that, it's a strong 3/5.
Sly & The Family Stone
3/5
A couple of soul classics here that I had no idea were originally by Sly & The Family Stone
Soul II Soul
3/5
I can see how this would have been influential in the 80's / 90's R&B scene. It's not a genre I dig very much but I wasn't opposed to this collection of tunes. A soft 3 from me.
Stevie Wonder
3/5
Classic 70's soul. I liked it. Sir Duke is a proper jam but overall it went on for a bit too long. A solid 3.
10cc
2/5
Back in the days of Winamp and local MP3 files, 10CC was the first artist that would play on my playlist every time I opened it. I had 6 or 7 of their hits in my collection and grew quite attached to them over the years.
Unfortunately, none of those songs I loved appeared on Sheet Music, which I thought was weak and largely lacklustre.
Circle Jerks
1/5
Abhorrent excuse for music which doesn’t deserve to appear on such a list
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
You don’t get much more perfect than Rumors. If there’s any LP that’s stood the test of time, it’s this one. From the masterful guitar in Never Going Back Again to the foot-stomping joy of Don’t Stop; from the beauty of Songbird to the rich harmonic outro of The Chain, Fleetwood Mac are a true musical blessing to the world.
Wire
2/5
Not as obnoxious as other punk albums this project has cycled through so far, at least there is a semblance of musicality here
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
3/5
For a band I've never heard of before I enjoyed this record. Stylistically it's quite varied and kept me interested throughout - no two songs sounded the same. It's on the risqué side; I thought a tune like Gang Bang had the perfect classic rock FM radio sound but the blatant lyrical content would have prevented it from reaching a wide audience. Giddy Up A Ding Dong had a similar catchy vibe. The Faith Healer is their most popular song but to me it was one of the weaker tunes on the album. I considered giving it a 4 but ultimately I wouldn't listen to it again, so I've settled with a strong 3.
Belle & Sebastian
2/5
I’ve never been able to get into Belle & Sebastian and this album didn’t help. Bland, whiny and uninspiring.
Eminem
3/5
I used to hate Eminem with a passion, I couldn’t stand any of these songs when they were first released. But I’ve chilled out these days, I guess through a few decades worth of occasional exposure. I got through Kill You, Stan and The Real Slim Shady without the typical “WTF is this garbage” reaction I became so used to in years gone by, even tapping my feet to some of them. 24 years ago this would have been a sure-fire 1/5 but today it’s grown to a 3.
Sugar
4/5
Who is this band? Why have I never heard of them before? The first track, The Act We Act, was a total banger which went straight onto my playlist. Same with Helpless and If I Can't Change Your Mind. The album in general is full of consistent, listenable 90’s American rock, a genre I’m always open to. It gave me some real Better Than Ezra / Gin Blossoms vibes.
I just learnt Sugar comprises one of the members of Hüsker Dü, another band I’d never heard of until this project. I didn’t care for Hüsker Dü whereas I thought Sugar had a much more refined sound.
I was genuinely surprised how much I enjoyed Copper Blue, especially on first listen. A well-deserved 4/5.
Amy Winehouse
3/5
A good introduction to Amy but not as epic and influential as Back To Black
Led Zeppelin
3/5
I don’t find this to be peak Led Zeppelin but it’s still a noteworthy collection of tunes. Friends was a nice discovery which I wasn't previously familiar with. I appreciated the general acoustic vibe of the record.
GZA
2/5
A small step above some of the other godawful hip hop I’ve heard here. GZA isn’t for me at all and I’ll never listen to him again, but I at least made it through the record without wanting to throw my device out the window.
The Cult
3/5
Half a star lost for the awful Born To Be Wild cover
Christina Aguilera
2/5
Maybe this album a blessing if you’re a genuine fan of Aguilera but for those of us who aren’t so appreciative of her style, this drags on for far too long. Candyman was alright, but only out of familiarity and its likeness to Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy. And what the hell is with Thank You (Dedication To Fans)? Such a load of narcissistic BS. Get outa here.
The Flaming Lips
3/5
Listenable, but nothing particularly captured my attention
Dexys Midnight Runners
2/5
Extremely meh
Ray Charles
3/5
Classy and elegant but dated
Leonard Cohen
2/5
LC may be the poet of our generation but personally I found very little appeal to this album. Maybe for other people but not for me
Serge Gainsbourg
3/5
Wow - what striking music I heard from this album. I was immediately taken by the instrumentation, the jive, something about Gainsbourg’s production really impressed me despite not being able to catch much of the meaning. Imagine my shocked face when I eventually looked up the story behind the songs. Conflicting indeed.
Morrissey
2/5
Not a fan of Morrissey’s music in general but I appreciated the line “rejection is one thing but rejection from a fool is cruel”
Jeru The Damaja
3/5
Not bad. A surprisingly mature sound.
Dr. Dre
1/5
This kind of music will never not be awful
David Holmes
4/5
I really liked this. Never heard of Holmes before but it was a perfect collection of chill instrumental tunes for a Saturday afternoon walk.
Peter Tosh
2/5
A poor-man’s Bob Marley
Nick Drake
4/5
Another Nick Drake masterpiece. It’s the second of his albums I’ve had here, it hit me in the same way Five Leaves Left did. I really dig this guy.
The Monks
3/5
I didn’t particularly get into the music, but I thought it had good novelty value, considering it’s one of the first ever examples of punk music. For that, it elevates the rating from a 2 to a 3.
Napalm Death
1/5
I can appreciate from a music discovery perspective that this album made this list, but let's get real, this kind of abrasive, face-melting noise is extremely niche and surely only truly enjoyed by those who grace the lower 1% on the music enjoyment bell curve.
Scissor Sisters
4/5
I was a big fan of the Scissor Sisters' hit singles when they first came out in the mid-00's but it's been a long time since I spun a whole album of theirs (if at all?) This was good stuff! Such catchy, upbeat pop. Whatever happened to the Scissor Sisters? Where did they go? I want to hear what a 2024 incarnation of the band would release.
Thelonious Monk
4/5
A fine example of an artist I hadn’t had much exposure to in the past, whose discography I would now love to deep-dive into. Brilliant Corners was brilliant indeed. This is exactly why I enjoy the 1001 albums project so much, stumbling across gold like this.
Duke Ellington
4/5
I've been on a roll recently, this is the third very good (4/5) album I've had in a row, after a period of mediocrity. I headed out on a chilly early-spring walk in Montreal with earphones in and a 2 hour Ellington record queued up to spin. And was I in for a treat!
Such class, such elegance, such musicianship. What a time it would have been in 1956 to be part of this audience. Something struck me in particular about Diminuendo In Blue; this was the clincher for me not long after my first coffee of the walk that guaranteed a quality review.
I really want there to be more Ellington records along the road to 1001.
Laibach
2/5
Uhh? I don’t know what to make of it. I tend to enjoy avant garde music but this was on the erratically unenjoyable side of the scale, excepting the Queen cover which was kinda cool. Apparently this is “neo-classical”?
Steely Dan
3/5
It’s a nice-sounding, well-produced record indeed, but its sparkling yacht cleanliness comes with a sacrifice of the authentic grit that other albums of its generation were able to capture. Josie and Deacon Blue are decent tunes. Not a bad album by any means but Pretzel Logic and Can’t Buy A Thrill are both superior to Aja.
Merle Haggard
2/5
Easy-listening American country music with typical melancholic themes behind the songs. No one particular song stood out to me. Not sure why this is an album to hear before I die.
David Bowie
3/5
Bowie is about as middle-of-the-range as you can get, as far as I’m concerned. I don’t think an album of his will ever score higher or lower than 2.5 (rounded up to 3).
The La's
3/5
Strong start with Son Of A Gun. The La’s are reminiscent of a less-whiny version of The Smiths. I was familiar with There She Goes which made me look out the window of the bus and smile nostalgically. Quite a good record, it’s a high 3 but falls short of the 4 because I don’t feel like I’d listen to it again in a hurry.
Marty Robbins
4/5
I don’t know why, but I feel very familiar with the cover art. As though it’s always been in my collection and I should have heard this record 30 times already. But I haven’t.
Anyway, it’s pretty good music, I enjoyed this! I appreciate Robbins’ vocal delivery, simple instrumentation and eloquent storytelling. Cool Water rang a bell and is the standout track in my opinion, I’m sure I heard that song on a kids show when I grew up.
John Martyn
4/5
I've dabbled in small selections from Martyn's discography over the years and according to Last.FM, I listened to 7 tracks from Solid Air back in 2013, but today's spin was the first time in full. It was great. I was familiar with Over The Hill and May You Never, as both are in my playlist of favourites, and I was happy to add The Easy Blues to my selection.
One of my all-time favourite John Farnham songs is his version of May You Never; it took me many years to learn it was actually one of John Martyn's.
Gene Clark
2/5
A markedly uninteresting album. Next.
Fiona Apple
3/5
I couldn't really get into Fiona Apple. It certainly rates high from a musicality perspective, which is where my 3rd star comes from, but it didn't strike me with any particular feels.
LTJ Bukem
3/5
Reasonable sounding drum & bass collection. Not my go-to genre at all but I had no complaints listening to this.
The Beta Band
2/5
Another album that I don’t think has any place on this list. Generic and uninspiring.
Booker T. & The MG's
3/5
Reasonable set of old-school tunes going on here. Green Onions is a banger. Others were alright.
Beck
3/5
Not as cool as Guero
A Tribe Called Quest
3/5
I'm realizing through this project that there's a certain branch of hip hop with a certain maturity to it; A Tribe Called Quest falls into this category. I get good vibes from it, unlike the NWA / Dr. Dre kind of garbage. It'll never be my go-to genre but at least I know there's something out there I can tolerate.
Suede
2/5
Britpop in its infancy. I'm sure it's an incredibly influential record but it's not for me.
Sex Pistols
2/5
A slightly higher-rated punk album than I'd normally give a punk album, but only because of familiarity with 2-3 tracks
Doves
3/5
Bright and encouraging opening with the riff from Words. Similar vibes with There Goes The Fear. Remaining tunes weren’t quite as ear-wormy but it was a decent album altogether.
ZZ Top
3/5
Decent blues. La Grange is the clear standout, other songs sound a bit samey. But I would listen again.
The Byrds
2/5
Another mediocre 60's album, nothing really stood out to me aside from the most popular track, My Back Pages. I'm sure it was influential for its time but in this day and age it's another a blip in the vast musical ocean.
Radiohead
3/5
Quite dark and atmospheric, as can be expected from Radiohead. I hadn't spun this album before, as far as I recall I've only previously heard Pyramid Song. Pulk/Pull Revolving doors was .... weird? Not my favourite Radiohead album so far of the project - The Bends moved me in a way the Amnesiac hasn't - but it's still worth a listen.
Metallica
3/5
I’ve spun S&M before and knew what I was in for. Of all Metallica records, this one is my favourite, the orchestra adds such a contrasting tone and colour to the aggressivity.
Hero Of The Day was a new discovery for me, even though I’d heard it before I never really took notice until yesterday, its ascending chord progression gives it a particularly reassuring, comforting feel.
Now to the score. Metallica is a band I need to be in a certain mood to enjoy. I split the listening of this album across two sessions, the first session I wasn’t in the mood and the second I was much more receptive. As such, there were moments where I felt a 2 and moments where I felt a 4, so I’ll have to go with the average, but it’s a very strong 3.
Deep Purple
3/5
Two 2+ hour albums in a row for me! (Metallica’s S&M yesterday). Fantastic musicianship, it’s clear these guys were masters of their trade. I’m sure a true Deep Purple fan would gladly sit through the whole live recording but it was too much on the long side for me.
Nina Simone
3/5
A high quality record, very classy & elegant and listenable. It has many qualities of a 4/5 but personally it doesn't strike me with the feels, so I'm settling with a 3.
Caetano Veloso
3/5
I have a soft spot for Brazilian music but much more on the bossa nova side, less on the tropical pop side. Caetano Veloso was still a good jam though.
The Coral
4/5
The first album in the project so far I’ve listened to twice before rating. It spoke to me but I wanted to be certain it was deserving of a 4/5, and it is. I’ve never consciously listened to The Coral before; this was basically a new discovery for me. I loved the production, it’s a very well made record. I get vibes of a slightly ska-influenced version of the Stereophonics. Spanish Main is a very enticing opener, how about those harmonies? I Remember When is the standout track for me and I also quite enjoyed Simon Diamond. Good stuff.
Mekons
2/5
In the first 15 seconds I asked myself ‘Is this supposed to be country?’ before later learning it’s one of the first examples of alt-country. It sounded messy and disjointed, the country/new-wave crossover was unappealing to me.
Bob Dylan
3/5
I don’t care much for Bobby D. It was alright, I suppose.
Björk
3/5
There were some enjoyable tracks from this Björk record but it didn't strike me as a whole collection I'd spin again in a hurry
The Black Keys
3/5
Decent rock. A big sound. Howlin’ For You was recognizable. Probably wouldn’t listen to this album again but I’d listen to more Black Keys
Jefferson Airplane
3/5
I prefer We Built This City
Echo And The Bunnymen
2/5
I was instantly drawn to the use of bagpipes in The Cutter. I thought this song sounded vibrant and intriguing. I had high hopes for the rest of the album, potentially it was going to be my highest rated new wave record. Unfortunately, nothing else came close to that calibre.
Blood, Sweat & Tears
4/5
It made me happy to hear this album. I was intrigued from the moment the opener hit my ears, the idea to bookend with Satie was fantastic. I loved the incorporation of jazz throughout, it's a step above your standard 60's rock record. The production is first-class. I struggled to believe it was a product of 1968, it sounds well beyond its years. I was vaguely familiar with Spinning Wheel and You've Made Me So Very Happy, which I would say are the two standouts, but there wasn't a track on this record I didn't enjoy. A worthwhile discovery.
Pet Shop Boys
2/5
Yet another British pop/new wave band from the 80’s that I’ve never really been able to get into in the past, confirmed to be the case after putting myself through an uninteresting album of theirs
4/5
Imagine the surprise in my early teens when I made the connection that the theme tune to Australia’s most popular lifestyle TV programme was by The Beatles. John, Paul, George and Ringo legitimized Better Homes And Gardens for me.
Lou Reed
2/5
This isn’t for me. It’s not bad, but Lou Reed just isn’t my jam.
Minutemen
3/5
This was interesting. I’m sure many, including myself, were familiar with Corona and probably knew nothing more from Minutemen. This was probably the most accessible punk I’ve ever heard, full of ripper riffs and vibrant melodies without being overly harsh on the ears.
I was surprised to hear Midnight Oil and Tragically Hip kinda vibes throughout. The vocals in Theatre Is The Life Of You struck me as quite Peter Garrett; It’s Expected I’m Gone gave me Gord Downie with his ensemble.
It’s certainly not my go-to genre but I’d consider listening to more Minutemen. It’s the first time during this project that I’ve expressed such a sentiment for a punk band.
Billy Joel
5/5
How great is Billy Joel? There’s not a bad tune on this album, it’s full of absolute classics. It gets a coveted 5* from me.
I’m very glad I got the chance to see him live a decade or so ago in Toronto. I scored a cheap resale ticket for $11 - the beer I bought at the venue was $1.50 more expensive than the ticket, for heavens sake. Anyway, this experience really opened my eyes to the joys of the Joel, I’ve been a big fan ever since.
I’m always happy to spin The Stranger and I hope there is more Billy to come.
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart
3/5
It was quite difficult to get ahold of this album, but I did, and it wasn’t particularly worth the effort. It was ok. Listenable experimental / electronic kinda music but not repeatable.
Tom Waits
3/5
It’s been 10 years since I listened to a Waits record in full, which I don’t recall enjoying. However I liked Nighthawks due to its consistency and for showcasing his humorous storytelling style throughout. I just felt like it was a one-time listen.
Lynyrd Skynyrd
4/5
Fantastic record! It's incredible how an album of such quality could be their debut. Standouts were the recognizable radio staples, Tuesday’s Gone, Gimme Three Steps and of course Free Bird, but I also connected well with Mississippi Kid, a bluegrass hillbilly tune with a killer harmonica part, which I don't recall taking notice of before. It's well deserving of its success and of many repeat listens.
Jimi Hendrix
2/5
I was excited to finally have a Hendrix album to listen to, but upon playing it, I'm nowhere near as amazed as I thought I'd be. I'm sure this was groundbreaking at the time but it sounds to me today like repetitive old blues. Watchtower was the only number that I felt had a sense of magic. I've realized Hendrix is someone I can appreciate in small doses on a track-by-track basis but not in album format. It's unlikely I'll listen to another one of his albums in full again.
John Grant
3/5
I liked the sarcastic humour. Silver Platter Club was the standout for me. The JC song was quite controversial, my goodness. I wouldn’t listen to another John Grant album in a hurry but I also wouldn’t complain if I heard another track of his.
The Pretty Things
3/5
Decent acoustic folk. A little on the hippie side but not obnoxiously hippie. I didn’t quite get it at first, but read afterwards that it’s a rock opera, so it made a bit more sense (I wish I’d known that before listening, to be honest). Private Sorrow was my pick of the bunch, I enjoyed the acoustic guitar run-down in its intro. Would listen to more Pretty Things.
Aretha Franklin
3/5
Very talented lady of soul. Classics all around, I enjoyed it. Interesting version of People Get Ready. Chain Of Fools and Natural Woman were my picks.
Kings of Leon
3/5
Good to hear Kings Of Leon before they became rock superstars. Their late-2000’s stuff was their best but Youth And Young Manhood was worthy of a listen.
Santana
4/5
Santana is fantastic. What a collection of classics… Black Magic Woman, Oye Como Va, Samba Pa Ti. A joyous guitarist with an equally as uplifting band.
Guided By Voices
2/5
I'm surprised to read how critically acclaimed this album was. I didn't care for it at all. I agree with Robert Christgau of The Village Voice that it's a dud.
Joan Armatrading
2/5
Another album with high critical acclaim that I was looking forward to listening to, but I’d written it off as monotonous by the third track. Not for me.
The Fall
2/5
There was one tune which had a mildly appealing 15 second acoustic guitar intro, but aside from that, I couldn’t have cared less about any other song from this album.
Johnny Cash
4/5
Such brutal, gravelly honesty to Cash's voice. I've listened to American IV a handful of times and it always mentally transports me to the porch of a quiet farmyard shack in western Tennessee overlooking the Mississippi.
Aside from the clear standout, Hurt, I really enjoyed Bridge Over Troubled Water, First Time Ever I Saw Your Face and Danny Boy. I must say that something sounds off with Desperado, it feels a bit out of place, but that's a small criticism against what is a quality collection of mostly American classics.
Beastie Boys
2/5
Obnoxious, aggressive and absolutely not for me. Vocals are akin to scratching nails on a chalkboard.
Green Day
3/5
Pretty decent 90’s pop/punk with catchy melodies. It’s never my go-to genre but I can get through Dookie sans boredom.
George Jones
2/5
Monotonous old-school country that certainly didn’t take me on any tour. It’s not bad music but it’s all just a bit too “meh”
Can
3/5
I liked it. Interesting sounds. Quite experimental. Not enough to conjure a particularly strong emotional connection, hence a 3 rather than a 4, but I’d happily explore more of their discography
Fleet Foxes
3/5
Chill record. White Winter Hymnal is beautiful. The overall sound is like being in the clouds
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
2/5
Another difficult album to track down that I didn’t think was worth the effort. The title track was somewhat recognizable. The remaining 6 tracks sounded dated to me, with a cheesy 80’s hiphop feel.
UB40
2/5
All accomplished musicians, decent songs, but reggae doesn’t speak to me at all. Having said that, I didn’t mind Madam Medusa.
Elliott Smith
3/5
Solid indie tunes, good musician & lyricist. I was just reading about Smith, seems he had quite the tragic life. I didn't think it was a particularly memorable album but it's decent.
Miles Davis
4/5
I haven’t heard a jazz record yet via this project that I didn’t like
4/5
I see where Wolfmother got their sound from. I really enjoyed this album. Pure progressive genius. My favourite song was And You And I due to its progressive acoustic feel; Close To The Edge came a close second. Would absolutely spin it again.
Magazine
2/5
Real Life isn’t deserving of a place in this prestigious list. I didn’t find anything appealing about Magazine at all. Next.
Elvis Presley
3/5
Exactly what I’d expect an Elvis album to sound like. It was interesting to hear his version of I Got A Woman, it’s substandard compared to the Ray Charles original. A 50’s classic but very middle-of-the-road to my ears.
The Teardrop Explodes
2/5
Yet another run-of-the-mill assemblage of British 80's new-wave. I simply can't get into this genre, it speaks nothing to me. How does this mediocrity make its way into a list like this, or into the 100 Greatest British Albums Ever?
Bauhaus
2/5
Yet another example of what I believe to be pure mediocrity polluting this list
Dusty Springfield
3/5
This was a sweet listen. The songs here have a certain "rare" quality, you don't hear this sound so often any more. I particularly enjoyed You Don't Own Me, Mockingbird and Twenty-Four Hours From Tulsa. I wouldn't consider it to be a repeatable album but it was nice as a one-off.
Fever Ray
3/5
Some intriguingly deep & dark experimental sounds here. I liked it. The bookending tracks worked particularly well, the opening drone of If I Had A Heart and the closing birdcalls of Coconut got my ears standing to attention.
Radiohead
4/5
This was a very good record, I find it better than Amnesiac but a little less engaging than The Bends, both of which I've listened to already via this project. Still worthy of a 4/5. Everything In It's Right Place is the standout.
Orange Juice
2/5
A poor man’s Talking Heads.
Massive Attack
3/5
Safe From Harm is a great introduction with its catchy, groovy bass line and eclectic vocals. I really liked Blue Lines - this is hip hop I can potentially get behind. Is this even hip hop, though? I'm to sure what genre this constitutes. Altogether pretty decent.
The Slits
3/5
Instant Hit was a fantastic song, I'd never heard that before. I was indeed captured by the instantaneous hitness of it, the unusual instrumentation, the dissonant rhythm, the call & response harmonies. However, that was the high point, I didn't care much for the rest of the album. Grapevine was ok I guess but more out of familiarity than the quality of the cover.
I struggled to decide on the score for this one. On a whole it's a 2/5, it's a non-repeatable album and I have no interest in exploring the rest of their discography. But I did really enjoy Instant Hit to the point that it increases the score to a strong 2, rounded up to a 3.
Sinead O'Connor
3/5
A moving and poignant record to listen to. Sinead was a very talented vocalist and songwriter. Aside from the Prince song, my favourite was The Emperor’s New Clothes, I’m sure I’d heard it before but this is the first time I listened attentively.
Neil Young
3/5
No surprises here, it was about as Neil Young as Neil Young can get.
Shivkumar Sharma
3/5
I liked it, it's quite a different genre to most other albums on this list. It certainly wasn't mindblowing but it made for a good relaxing musical journey.
Public Enemy
1/5
God, I can’t stand this. It will be a blessed day when I discover an album that opens my ears to American hip hop in a positive way. It's certainly not going to come from Public Enemy.
Dire Straits
4/5
A very strong album, containing one of the all-time classic guitar rock songs. Only a pure genius could write, perform and release something of the calibre of Sultans Of Swing as their debut single.
I've spun this record a few times in the past so I have a good familiarity with it. I briefly considered giving it a coveted 5/5, but upon reflection, there are a few ordinary moments via tunes like Setting Me Up and In The Gallery. They're still decent songs, but they don't quite live up to the magic of that standout track.
I hope Dire Straits features again in this project as at least one of their other albums is deserving of the 5, based on my logic of magic across the board.
Beatles
3/5
I’m not as moved by this collection of Beatles tracks as I am after hearing other albums of theirs. The White Album is ok but I don’t find it astounding.
The Strokes
3/5
Solid rock album. Someday and Last Nite are the sure standouts. I remember Last Nite being in my repertoire of printed guitar tabs, it takes me back to my teen years to hear this again.
Buck Owens
2/5
This brings me back to my childhood, sitting in the tropical patio of Alan & Kim's house, eating sausages loaded with tomato sauce on white bread and finding ways with my brothers to entertain ourselves whilst the adults drank beer and talked about adult things. This is exactly the type of hillbilly old school American country music Alan would play through his stereo. It was awful.
I did, at least, find it interesting that Owens' version of Act Naturally, which appears as a bonus live track on this album, predated the version by The Beatles.
The Temptations
3/5
Good soul music. Surprisingly political. I was particularly interested to hear the 11 minute version of Papa Was A Rollin' Stone, it hit pretty decently. Wouldn't give it a repeat spin but would be happy to hear more Temptations.
Sonic Youth
2/5
My favourite track was Theresa's Sound-World, it was as the title stated, a world of sound. Thick and lush. Aside from that I didn't particularly care for Sonic Youth.
Queen
3/5
Never spun this before, seems quite the rarity. Not full of hits like some of their others, but still a good listen.
3/5
Chill vibes. Always enjoy a Brazilian contribution to the albums project. Never heard of Suba before but my god, he has an interesting life story with a tragic end.
Radiohead
3/5
I feels like I've gotten Radiohead's entire discography within my first 200 albums here, this is my 4th of theirs. I'd never heard Hail To The Thief before. It didn't have the same magic to it as The Bends or Kid A; I rank it more in line with Amnesiac.
Björk
2/5
Too squeaky & squawky for my liking
Koffi Olomide
3/5
Hey I liked this! There was no particular standout track, but this is still a great musical discovery that made me tap my feet for an hour. I doubt I'd ever have stumbled upon Koffi Olomide if not for this project.
Lauryn Hill
2/5
Talented, well-produced, but this genre is not for me
M.I.A.
2/5
Nope, didn't like it. Hombre was an awful song. Far too many annoying EHHHHHHs. Next.
Silver Jews
2/5
Monotonous and uninspiring.
Brian Eno
2/5
Nah, not for me. I can't get into Brian Eno. I preferred the airports album over this one.
Miles Davis
4/5
Very good stuff, as always from Miles Davis
The Cramps
2/5
Despite being pretty much garbage as far as I'm concerned, it's lucky to narrowly escape a 1 star rating, but only because the bluesy instrumentation was tolerable.
2/5
I'm surprised at how loud, noisy and obnoxious this music was, I didn't expect this from such an early recording. Not to my liking at all.
Paul McCartney and Wings
4/5
A fun, highly listenable and easily repeatable album by one of the all-time greats. I forgot about the existence of Let Me Roll It, it's a jam indeed, I added it to my playlist of favourites along with Band On The Run and Jet which were both already included. I loved how many references there were later in the album to earlier songs. A great spin. I'm so happy that I got the chance to see Sir Paul in concert a few years ago.
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
Standard, middle-of-the-line British 80's pop. It's alright but I wouldn't listen again in a hurry.
Bad Brains
2/5
Nah this is obnoxious noise, I don't like it
Bob Dylan
3/5
I didn't realize Make You Feel My Love was a Bobby D song. The album was alright. I've never been a huge Bobby D fan, I can tolerate him but I don't find him mind-blowing. This record slots right there in the middle.
R.E.M.
3/5
Was it a coincidence that I got R.E.M. on the day they were in the news due to their one-off Songwriters Hall Of Fame performance, or did the 1001 Albums Generator creator plant this?
I really like R.E.M.'s radio singles but I struggle to get into their album tracks. Green had a couple of huge 5★ hits but the in-between songs are fairly mediocre, it evens out at a strong 3/5.
Dolly Parton
3/5
It’s a very sweet album. I’ve grown to respect Dolly P a lot in recent years. I’m terms of talent this album scores highly, but there were no individual songs that hit me with the feels, so I’ll have to give it a 3. It’s a strong 3 though. I would listen to it again for sure; I could see myself becoming more connected to it after 3-4 spins.
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
3/5
Tangy tomatillo
Fela Kuti
4/5
This is the best new discovery I’ve heard in recent weeks. What a blistering combo of musicians this is. I loved it. To have witnessed this concert in-person…
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
I’ve never taken much notice to Simon & Garfunkel in the past but I quite liked this. At first spin I didn’t find it outstanding but it could grow on my with repeat listens. The 59th Street Bridge Song and 7 O’Clock News / Silent Night were my favourites.
Donald Fagen
3/5
It’s still very Steely Dan sounding. Pretty good background music but no one track was particularly ear-catching to me. Deserving of its place slightly above centre score.
Finley Quaye
3/5
Dude’s vocal style is the lovechild of Ben Harper and Tones & I.
It took me a while to get into it, I was even considering giving it a 2/5, but something finally struck me when I got to Sweet and Loving Man, followed by Red Rolled and Seen. Both decent tunes which pushed it up to a 3, albeit a low 3.
The Verve
4/5
There are some masterpieces on Urban Hymns. Ashcroft’s voice is perfectly suited to The Verve’s instrumentation and songs. Great stuff, yeah I really enjoy this album.
Pink Floyd
5/5
One of the all-time greats. There aren’t many albums that bring you on the majestic journey that The Dark Side Of The Moon brings you on.
The Kinks
3/5
I was familiar with Sunny Afternoon, it was a song I learnt as a teenager playing guitar, and I had a particular liking for Dead End Street. An alright album of classic British rock but not worth a repeat spin.
Dusty Springfield
3/5
Like the other album of hers that I heard here, A Girl Called Dusty, it’s sweet and old-school with a certain rare quality, but it’s not really to my fancy.
William Orbit
3/5
It’s pretty chill electronic music. Not mindblowing; not awful either.
Tom Waits
2/5
I appreciated Town With No Cheer for the references to my home country, but aside from that, this isn’t for me at all.
The Band
3/5
I really enjoyed Rag Mama Rag, The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down and Jawbone (that piano interlude between lines!). Quite a good album with a consistent song style, worthy of a repeat listen, a high 3/5 overall.
Led Zeppelin
3/5
I went into this wanting to give it at least a 4/5 purely for Led Zep’s influence & reputation, but by the end I wasn't feeling it, it's been downgraded to a 3. Yes, Whole Lotta Love is one of the all-time greatest rock songs, and there are a few other bangers like Heartbreaker and Ramble On, but as a collection it didn't draw me in as much as I thought it would.
Living Colour
4/5
I don’t know how I’d come to this conclusion in the past, but I’d always written off Living Color as a shitty British new-wave band, like a poor man’s version of Duran Duran. Today I learnt they’re neither shitty, British, nor new-wave.
Cult Of Personality is one of those songs I was vaguely aware of but never paid attention to before. Now that I’ve given it a chance: what a rockin’ banger. Followed immediately by another rocker, I Want To Know. I loved the outro to Open Letter. This whole album is 80’s guitar wankery at its finest, and I mean that with all due respect. I’m impressed.
Vivid was a true surprise; I went in thinking “ugh” and walked away with 4 well-deserved stars and a determination to seek more of their catalogue. It further invigorates me to continue with this fantastic 1001 albums project.
Raekwon
1/5
It never ceases to amaze me how many critically-l acclaimed hip-hop albums this project conjures. Despite my initial efforts, it’s crap like Cuban Linx that leaves me adamant this genre will never occupy space in my heart. To hell with you who rave about how “culturally important” these songs are or how there’s “strength and presence in the message”. This is purely awful, vulgar, mind-numbing garbage.
The Who
3/5
I’ve had a soft spot for The Who over the past month as they’ve recently become my wife’s favourite band and we’ve been listening to them a lot. Tommy and Who Are You have been on high rotation but not so much of Who’s Next. It was nice to add these songs to our repertoire.
Baba O’Riley is one of the all-time greats. I enjoyed Going Mobile, that was a good new discovery. Never been a huge fan of Behind Blue Eyes, I’ve always thought various cover versions from across the years have been superior.
Slipknot
2/5
The final two tracks, Vermilion, Pt. 2 and Til We Die were barely listenable. Up until then it was agitated, bloodthirsty garbage.
Rufus Wainwright
3/5
I got Elbow vibes listening to this, it’s not bad
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
2/5
Washed up, old-school American country & western. Not particularly interesting and not worth a re-listen.
Funkadelic
3/5
I was excited to hear this one, I had it in mind that Funkadelic were in some way mindblowing, but in reality I didn't feel this way at all. Kinda dull to be honest.
Alice Cooper
3/5
This was a little disappointing. I was excited for an Alice Cooper offering, I've always enjoyed his hit singles and I like him as a person / radio presenter, but I thought this album fell flat. The title track is a certain classic, I'll give it that. As for the rest? It's not awful but it falls smack-bang in the middle: 2.5. I'll round it up to a 3.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
I loved the warmth and sentimentality of The Boatman's Call which I was graced with a few months ago but I had quite the opposite feeling while listening to Henry's Dream. I particularly disliked the overall ambience and production. It sounded distant and piercing.
Interestingly, reading the Wiki after writing my previous paragraph, Cave himself also wasn't a fan of the production. This led to the recording of Live Seeds, with the intention of doing justice to his songs.
I went on to listen to Live Seeds and those recordings felt more dynamic and well-produced. But a disappointing ★★ for Henry's Dream.
R.E.M.
4/5
This is my most-scrobbled R.E.M. album according to my Last.FM stats, with 3 full plays in the past 9 years plus numerous selections of individual tracks. I have a fair familiarity with it. If it was the first time I'd heard this album I wouldn't be a fan. Drive isn't a particularly ear-catching opener, but purely out of familiarity, I felt somewhat connected to it. It's interesting how you react to music differently after you've already been exposed to it. I'm giving it a 4 because I enjoyed re-hearing this collection, but I'm adamant I would have given it a 3 or lower on first spin.
Rufus Wainwright
3/5
Agnus Dei was an incredible opening track. Unexpected and delightfully haunting. The rest of the album was pretty good too but didn't exceed the quality of track 1.
T. Rex
4/5
I know of T.Rex but I wasn’t familiar with a single track from this record. This was new territory for me.
Metal Guru was a great opener. I've never heard Guru pronounced that way but it works for this song.
By the time I got to track 3 - Rock On - I realized this had potential to be a banger of an album. I was really digging it. And indeed, the remainder kept up to this high standard.
I love finding these first-listen, 4-star records.
Sepultura
2/5
Sepultura, a band hailing from Belo Horizonte, which happens to be a city I’ve spent a bit of time at in recent years.
Alas, their familiar geographical origin did little to secure them a musical place in my heart.
Coldplay
4/5
This remains an exquisite album in 2024, it's stood the test of time. Such beautiful melancholy.
The Flaming Lips
3/5
It's pretty good, I liked its diversity and the instrumentation. I'd listened to a few tracks from it before and was familiar with Do You Realize. Would listen again.
Massive Attack
3/5
Trip-hop isn't really my go to so I can't say I was particularly moved by Protection, but I can respect it for its quality (except for their god awful version of Light My Fire). It's in the middle of the 2's somewhere so let's be kind and round it up to 3.
The Beach Boys
4/5
Incredible record from start to finish. I'd listened before and most tracks sounded familiar, but something my ears took close notice of this time were the "cry" harmonies at the end of You Still Believe In Me, they work so well. Also, God Only Knows is one of the best songs of all time.
Joe Ely
2/5
Yeah, nah. Really? Why is this on the list? The mind boggles.
The Cardigans
3/5
Chill easy-to-listen-to pop album. Nice to know there’s more to The Cardigans than that one song.
The Avalanches
4/5
I'm not normally into this electronic / dance "plunderphonic" (a newly-learnt word for me) kind of music, but once in a while a record of a normally unwelcome genre comes along that's somehow able to make gateways into your soul. This is one such record that does it for me. It's partly out of familiarity (hearing it on Triple J back in the day and playing it myself every few years), and partly because it's a magnificent production. Crazy to think it's composed almost entirely of samples.
Metallica
3/5
I preferred the dynamic of S&M over this studio recording, but it’s still alright.
The Last Shadow Puppets
3/5
Very Arctic Monkeys-like. It was alright for a single listen but it didn’t particularly impress me.
The Psychedelic Furs
1/5
The most irritating of all the new wave voices, a genre of which I already don’t appreciate. I couldn’t stand this album and considered turning it off half way through, but I regrettably persevered. I Wanna Sleep With You was the worst of the lot, akin to nails on the chalkboard.
Sade
2/5
The kind of music I expect to be playing in an empty hotel foyer at 1:30am
The Rolling Stones
3/5
I was very indifferent to this Rolling Stones album. I considered giving it a 2 but at the end of the day it’s not that bad, it’s listenable, just zero standout tracks.
Shuggie Otis
3/5
Never heard of him before, it was alright. Chill soul vibes.
Def Leppard
3/5
Great all-round 80's rock album. The first half is gold, the last half more filler but still ok. Love Bites is my pick of the bunch. Power Ballad of the century.
Pearl Jam
3/5
The soundtrack to the radio station of my teenage years, 100.7 Sea FM. The singles are great but I don’t care much for the non-singles.
Pentangle
2/5
Not as god awful as the Incredible String Band which I had a few months ago but still a similar level of hippie bullshit
The Residents
1/5
Absolute mashed potato. I can’t believe I sat through 2 hours of this nonsense. I felt like gouging my own eyes out with a teaspoon during the Birthday Boy song, and the journey continued even further downhill from then on. There is no god.
R.E.M.
3/5
I get that R.E.M.'s debut made the list because it would have been unusual for its time, but 41 years later I don't hear anything particularly special about it. It's ok though. Something about We Walk caught my ear.
Cocteau Twins
4/5
The sheer ingenuity of the babble pushes this into 4 star territory. I’d listened to a handful of Cocteau Twins tracks before but this was my first full album and I really enjoyed it.
Pulp
2/5
Not a fan of Pulp, this kind of music sounds lacklustre to me.
Coldcut
4/5
Well didn't I judge a book by its cover? For some reason I presumed it would be 80's new wave crap but I was pleasantly surprised at how refreshing and entertaining this music was.
Bon Jovi
3/5
Solid, but I prefer 2000’s Bon Jovi in their country-rock phase. The hit singles are all fantastic. I didn’t care much for the album tracks.
Slayer
1/5
Awful metal shit
Earth, Wind & Fire
3/5
I got them confused with Blood, Sweat & Tears, who I really enjoyed, so I was kinda disappointed that this album didn’t give me a similar feeling. Then I realized it was a different band. But it’s still decent middle-of-the-road soul/funk. It does alright.
Violent Femmes
3/5
This was better than I thought it was going to be. Of course I knew Blister, and I'd played a small handful of their other songs in the past, but I'd never listened to a full album before, nor was I aware just how acoustic punk The Violent Femmes are. I'm generally not a fan of punk, but my ears took genuine notice of this album thanks to its unplugged instrumentation. I wouldn't say I loved it, but it certainly inspired me to explore more of their discography.
The Vines
3/5
Nick Cave aside, it’s not often that I’m offered an album hailing from a home country artist. I think there are 1,001 other better Aussie options that I’d pick much sooner than The Vines. Don’t get me wrong, they’re not awful, and I get that they made a splash on the international scene, but Australia has so many more worthwhile musical collectives that could be showcased here.
Homesick is a good song and I took notice of Country Yard for the first time, but the rest is standard 00’s rock.
Iron Butterfly
3/5
One of my dad’s favourites, and one that I’ve listened to a bunch of times in the past. Pretty good stuff.
Miles Davis
4/5
I LOVED Pharaoh's Dance! This was one of the best new song discoveries I've made so far along this project. It left me in a trance, there was something so captivating about it. The rest of the album was great too, although it didn't reach the same level of magic I felt from Pharaoh.
Green Day
4/5
Top-tier punk rock, this is some really good stuff. Jesus of Suburbia is a right jam, my pick of the bunch. The rest of the singles from the album are epic, even the non-singles go above and beyond. Green Day at their peak.
Billy Bragg
4/5
I’m surprised how many of these songs I recognized, without knowing they were Billy Bragg & Wilco. Spotify plays them on my Discover Weekly quite often. Plus I remember Bragg playing She Came Along To Me live on The Panel some time in the late 90’s. As a whole I really enjoyed it. Great melodies, good natural production, yeah it makes me want to listen to more.
Ryan Adams
3/5
Too much whiny harmonica
David Bowie
2/5
What I'm finding as I get deeper into this project is that I'm not a fan of David Bowie. His music isn't terrible or anything. I just don't care for it. It doesn't excite me. At all.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
4/5
This was some good bootscootin’ hillbilly bluegrass. I enjoyed this album, it’s right on the cusp of 4 stars. They did justice to those old folk standards. I was quite moved by Randy Scruggs’ short acoustic cover of Both Sides Now. I’m inspired to check out volume 2 and 3 in this series.
The Jam
2/5
Nah I didn’t like this. Obnoxious British “rock”
Everything But The Girl
2/5
I thought this was quite generic, uninspiring folk/pop. Talented musicians for sure, but I don't care for it. I don't mind their hit song Missing, but nothing on this album reached that level.
Aretha Franklin
3/5
Exactly what I’d expect from an Aretha Franklin album
Gillian Welch
3/5
High production quality, this has a good sonic feel to it. She’s clearly a talented musician. I didn’t emotionally connect to anything though.
David Bowie
2/5
Bowie Schmowie. I'm getting a bit sick of him. He takes up too much real estate around here.
The Smashing Pumpkins
2/5
Billy and the Boys were the darlings of the FM radio station of my youth. I never appreciated his whiny voice or their obnoxiously fuzzy guitar sound. Disarm and Today are ok but only out of familiarity. Aside from that: not for me.
AC/DC
3/5
Here we go, some good, classic Aussie rock. I love AC/DC but their albums sound a bit samey. Night Prowler was, surprisingly, my favourite track from Highway To Hell. It’s slow but it’s sinister, there was something quite captivating about it.
The Smashing Pumpkins
3/5
Only two days after my last Pumpkins album I got this epic two-hour long entry. I wasn't a fan of Siamese Dream, proclaiming Billy's voice to be whiny and their guitar sounds to be obnoxiously fuzzy. While those two facts remained true throughout the course of Mellon Collie, I did think the song quality increased by a notch, so I'm giving this a star higher than Siamese.
Stan Getz
4/5
Very good stuff. I'm quite familiar with all these pieces, given that I'm married to a Brazilian who plays these songs regularly. It's really nice to hear these jazz interpretations. O Pato is one of my favourites and I particularly loved this Stan Getz version. Next step is to check out its sequel, Jazz Samba Encore.
B.B. King
3/5
It was alright but I did expect something more from BB King
The Sabres Of Paradise
3/5
Chill tunes to walk around the city with
Grateful Dead
3/5
I see that this is a very critically acclaimed live album, and it was ok, but it didn’t move me. I just haven’t been able to board the Grateful Dead train.
The Black Crowes
4/5
Makes me want to drink whiskey and ride motorbikes. Top class 90’s bluesy rock that had me hooked from the opening riff of Twice As Hard.
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
2/5
Yet another example of a new-wave album that I just couldn’t get into. Extended Souvenir was an ok song with a catchy synth lick but it’s the only one that vaguely captured my attention.
Kings of Leon
3/5
I wasn’t familiar with any of these songs but it was a decent 00’s American rock album
Jane's Addiction
2/5
The first track kinda interested me but rest of it was nothing special
Marvin Gaye
3/5
Quite classy. I understand this to be one of the most critically-acclaimed albums of all time. I think I’ll need to give it a few more spins with some introspective analysis to truly appreciate it though.
Arcade Fire
4/5
I didn’t have a good day today. I played the first half of the album in the morning, went out for a walk to clear my head, then came home and had a very upsetting conversation with a loved one.
I then resumed Funeral where I left off, to the lyrics of “the pains of love, and they keep blowing, in my heart, there's flowers growing, on the grave of our old love”.
How apt.
Joy Division
2/5
More like Misery Multiplication
The Doors
3/5
I forgot how great a song Roadhouse Blues was. The rest of the album was pretty good despite me having a preconceived notion that the Doors weren't all that exciting a band.
The Mothers Of Invention
1/5
Probably this has some cultural significance but I thought it was frigging stupid
The Mamas & The Papas
3/5
One of the best album covers in existence
Kraftwerk
3/5
Standard old-school electronic tunes
Boston
4/5
Fantastic rock record. The three opening tracks are pure gold. Such a consistent, high-energy, kick arse sound.
Queen
3/5
Pretty solid record, slightly more engaging than Queen II which I got a few months back but still overall a 3 star effort.
The Go-Betweens
4/5
I think one of the greatest single lines of any song is from the chorus of Streets Of Your Town: "Every day I - make my way". It's so simple, yet the ingenuity of the unanticipated inverted rhyme gets me every time. A sure-fire four stars for this legendary band hailing from my home state of Queensland.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
Badlands is a fantastic song. I'm quite the fan of Springsteen, and I see this album is widely declared to be among his best work, but this isn't his strongest album in my opinion. I prefer the wall of sound opposed to the more raw-style production.
3/5
Didn't know any of these tunes, clearly it was an album from before Blur's commercial peak. A decent discovery though.
Manic Street Preachers
3/5
Pretty standard Welsh rock tunes. Didn't notice any particularly standout tracks.
Carpenters
3/5
I do like the few songs by The Carpenters that I've heard in the past, but they're very delicate, and I wasn't in a particularly delicate mood this morning. Despite that, their version of Close To You is a classic. Help was a curiosity, and I enjoyed the quite out-of-place jam at the end of Another Song. I also just read up on the life of Karen. What a sad end she had :(
The Police
3/5
I’ve always considered The Police a middle-of-the-road kind of band, this album epitomizes that. Good radio singles; ordinary album tracks.
Mott The Hoople
2/5
Very little about this 70’s mediocrity piqued my curiosity
The Pogues
4/5
It was great to finally get The Pogues. I’m quite familiar with a number of individual tracks but this may have been the first time I’ve listened to an album in full.
The Sick Bed Of Cuchulainn was a fantastic opener, I’ve never heard it before and I will surely spin it again. Same with Wild Cats Of Kilkenny, it was a perfectly chaotic instrumental.
If I’d never heard of The Pogues before I’d probably think this record was rubbish and score it a 2, but thankfully I’ve had a quality exposure to Irish culture & music and I get what’s going on here. It definitely satisfied my emerald desires.
Radiohead
3/5
My 5th Radiohead album along this journey. Not as memorable as The Bends or Kid A. Certainly listenable but no standout tracks for me.
Ghostface Killah
1/5
Heart Street Directions was so astonishingly cringe it made me want to vomit. Who listens to this shit? Pure trash, just like 99% of all other "music" of similar genre.
The Young Gods
3/5
I enjoyed this but more because of its uniqueness and unexpected factor than the music itself. I can't say I've ever been exposed to Swiss industrial rock before. The album was good for a single listen but don't think I'd venture back to these corners of Spotify in a hurry.
Beatles
3/5
Not my favourite Beatles record but it's still a great jam. The singles are my favourite out of familiarity, being the title track and Can’t Buy Me Love, but I didn’t really connect with the album tracks.
Charles Mingus
4/5
I’m rarely disappointed at the jazz offerings here. Mingus added a varied and melodic soundtrack to my walk through Mahatma-Gandhi park.
Les Rythmes Digitales
3/5
Pretty sure I’ve heard Jacques Your Body (Make Me Sweat) before. Decent high energy beats to work out to.
Slade
2/5
Run-of-the-mill 70's British rock. Don't really care for it. No standout tracks.
The Cars
3/5
Good classic pop/rock. I realized that Just What I Needed is the most popular track from the album, and even though my stats show I’ve listened 3 times before, I didn’t recognize it at all.
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
4/5
I really enjoyed this. Another Man was the clincher track that put it into 4 star territory. Fantastically emotive blues harp.
M.I.A.
3/5
I didn't have a particularly positive feeling for this album across the first few tracks, I thought it was overly percussive in an irritating way, but I was surprised to hear distinctive indigenous Australian singing voices on Mango Pickle Down River - none other than The Wilcannia Mob, who I'm familiar with. This led me to read a bit more about M.I.A. and how Kala came together, earning an additional review star out of respect.
Elvis Presley
3/5
I liked it because it didn't contain any hit singles. I wasn't familiar with a single track from it, it was like discovering Elvis for the first time. Having said that, it didn't come through with a lot of strength.
Joni Mitchell
3/5
I am a big fan of Joni's classic, Blue, but I'd never spun Court And Spark before. It didn't hit me with the feels in the same way Blue does, but I believe it could grow on me over time.
3/5
Very country and very western. It was the perfect length for a single spin but this kind of music annoys me in longer doses.
Elvis Presley
3/5
My second Elvis album this week, I preferred this one to the previous Elvis Is Back. Only The Strong Survive was a nice new discovery for me. Of course, Suspicious Minds was the climax. A worthwhile listen.
Portishead
3/5
Decently listenable trip-hop
Hole
3/5
Good 90's rock. Of course I enjoyed hearing radio staples Celebrity Skin and Malibu but I particularly appreciated discovering Heaven Tonight, which I've added to my playlist of favourites.
Dire Straits
5/5
Brothers In Arms is well deserving of the coveted 5 stars, a rarity for me to grant across this project. It's a gripping and engaging record full of incredible musicianship and meaningful messages. The hits like Money For Nothing and Walk Of Life and the title track all pack an impressively nostalgic punch, and on this listen my curiosity was particularly piqued by album tracks Why Worry and The Man’s Too Strong. It's rare to find a collection as strong as this.
Everything But The Girl
3/5
Good tunes to have on while trying to concentrate. It was ok.
Beatles
4/5
Our descendants will be enjoying, analyzing and discussing Abbey Road for centuries to come. A damn fine album.
Ian Dury
1/5
I’m curious how many Australians picked Billericay Dickie as the tune that the infamous Spray & Wipe ad from the 90’s was based on.
Anyway this was cringy, unnecessarily vulgar and reeked of immaturity. I didn’t enjoy it at all. Wake Up And Make Love With made me shudder and the rest of it annoyed me in general. Especially If I Was With A Woman. Ugh.
Neneh Cherry
2/5
No, Neneh Cherry is not for me. It's not bad music but it's too R&B for my tastes.
Sam Cooke
3/5
A rasp to outlast all rasps. The world has not produced many vocalists like Cooke.
JAY Z
2/5
I see this is one of the more influential hip-hop albums, and I can hear something in its production that indicates high quality, but as with almost every other hip-hop album I've been graced with along this project, it doesn't excite my eardrums in the slightest.
The The
3/5
I thought a few tracks had Midnight Oil vibes. It was ok.
Paul Simon
3/5
I didn’t know a single track from this album. It was ok, it sounded exactly as I’d expect a Paul Simon album to sound.
Johnny Cash
4/5
My second spin of this classic album. I’m a fan. This is so Johnny Cash, to record live in front of the incarcerated, bringing a speck of the outside to their otherwise (rightfully) miserable lives.
Laura Nyro
3/5
Pleasant vocal jazz but all songs sounded a little samey
2/5
I knew Poison Arrow from GTA Vice City. I was never a fan of it, it’s far too cheesy 80’s for my liking, as was the remainder of Love’s apparent Lexicon.
The Police
3/5
I found this to be more rock and less on the new-wave side, which I liked. I'd never heard Synchronicity in full before and I quite enjoyed the newly-discovered album tracks, of which Synchronicity II was my favourite. I appreciated this album more than I did Reggatta De Blanc. I'll still score it a 3 but it's on the higher side.
Pixies
3/5
Monkey Gone To Heaven is a harsh & grungy sounding track which would normally eat away at my ears, but I didn't mind it, I'm pretty sure I've heard it in a movie before so it gave me a sense of nostalgia. Here Comes Your Man is a classic. The rest was ok.
LL Cool J
2/5
I had high hopes for LL Cool J because I adore Luka Bloom's cover of I Need Love. I don't know how I thought there could be any stylistic similarity between these two artists, because there certainly isn't.
The Band
3/5
I can't get into The Band, no matter how hard I try. I think covers of The Band songs are, generally speaking, better than the originals. Case in point: The Weight. It's a fantastic song, but this far from the flagship version. Maybe this is unpatriotic of me as a naturalized Canadian, but I thought this album was dull. A high 2, rounded up to 3.
Arcade Fire
3/5
Not as good as Neon Bible. The title track is memorable, the rest was ok.
The Undertones
3/5
This is punk I can get behind, unlike most other I’ve heard. Catchy, poppy vibes going on here. Teenage Kicks and Family Entertainment were my faves.
808 State
3/5
A good album to get on a Sunday morning when I have my workout planned. I think I was familiar with Pacific 202 but I'm not so sure, either way it was a pretty decent track. I would explore more of 808 State although electronica isn't exactly my genre of choice.
AC/DC
5/5
I knew before pushing play on Back In Black this morning that it'd be an easy 4, but by the end I was convinced it should receive the highest accolade. It's gotta be the greatest comeback of all time considering the tragic events barely 5 months prior to its release. The level of arse this continues to kick after 44 years is beyond belief.
3/5
The better of the Bowie albums I've heard so far. Many hits on this one, but still not enough to really warm the cockles of my heart.
David Bowie
3/5
Enough David Bowie already. Two days in a row; my 6th in less than a year. Jesus Christ. I get it was the surprise album of the century but musically it's just standard Bowie to me.
Taylor Swift
3/5
I have to dress up as a Swiftie next week for Halloween. She sounds so outrageously polished, I may as well dunk myself in lacquer.
Leonard Cohen
2/5
The chord progression really irked me in Stories Of The Street, especially the A - Am change. As someone who lives in Montreal and sees one of his murals from the office tower most days of the week, I should be more into the musical darling of this city, but I struggle to hear the appeal.
Alice Cooper
3/5
I didn't imagine this would be Cooper's most popular album, I would have thought School's Out. It was decent. No More Mr Nice Guy is clearly the standout. I Love The Dead was left cycling through my head for most of the day.
Al Green
3/5
Quite a nice one, very classy. Enjoyed the Bee Gees cover. I saw him live once at a free show in Sydney in 2010 but had no idea who he was at the time.
Iron Maiden
3/5
This was a surprisingly solid album, I've never cared for Iron Maiden before but I got into this more than I thought I would. This old-school metal is not a genre of choice so I can't justify giving it more than a 3 from a personal enjoyment perspective, but I can acknowledge it's a rockin' one.
Paul Weller
3/5
I didn't know much about Paul Weller but I wasn't expecting him to sound so country.
Cee Lo Green
3/5
I only knew the F You song from this guy, I wasn’t expecting an actual soul machine. It was good - a high 3.
Holger Czukay
4/5
This was great! What a fun discovery. I loved Cool In The Pool. Such a funky, jazzy, interesting little tune to start off my day. The remaining three tracks were top-notch as well. I've saved another Czukay album to listen to another day. A very solid 4 from me.
Bob Dylan
3/5
The better of the Bobby D albums so far, but overall he’s still not to my liking
Tori Amos
3/5
I quite enjoyed this Tori Amos record, there were some nice discoveries on here, especially Crucify. I saw on the Deluxe version there's a cover of Smells Like Teen Spirit which was quite haunting. It left me slightly curious about finding out more about her.
Nirvana
4/5
30 years and 4 days since its release, at the time of writing this review. It's a classic, one of the ultimate collections of acoustic reinterpretations in existence. The difference between the studio and unplugged version of About A Girl is phenomenal, it's a standout along with All Apologies and Where Did You Sleep Last Night. I never appreciated the harshness of grunge in my formative years, but MTV Unplugged is the album that allowed Nirvana to shine through to me.
Janelle Monáe
3/5
Quite an eclectic, soulful and unique record. Oh, Maker and Come Alive were my favourites.
The Triffids
3/5
I’m surprised to see The Triffids made the list - and I’m surprised it was Calenture and not Born Sandy Devotional, which contains their flagmark piece, Wide Open Road.
A Western Australian rock band with some minor hits in the 80’s, they gained a cult following but never found much commercial success before the untimely death of frontman David McComb.
I have a high interest in songs that mention Australian locations, so I was pleased to hear Jerdacuttup Man. I’m always happy when Aussie music is featured here in general, but overall this comes in for me at a pretty bog-standard 3 stars.
Pet Shop Boys
2/5
The title of track #1 sums it all up.
Pere Ubu
2/5
Umm... what, now? Eclectically irritating.
The White Stripes
4/5
What a record! I’m not sure I ever spun this in full before, but I remember many of its tracks fondly from its high Triple J rotation back in the day.
A year or so ago I stumbled upon My Doorbell after not hearing it for yonks, but I’d totally forgotten about other classics like Blue Orchid and Denial Twist until today. This was a great trip back to 21 year old me. My level of respect for Jack White has increased a notch.
G. Love & Special Sauce
2/5
I enjoy blues. I’m ok with stoner rock. I can tolerate some non-vulgar hip hop. But I realized I’m not a fan when those three genres combine.
Big Brother & The Holding Company
3/5
I should have chosen a stronger coffee to drink to this one. Joplin had such a powerful voice, didn’t she?
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
There’s something about the sound quality of Creedence recordings that makes them sound antiquated. This isn’t their best release but it has a few cracking tunes on it. The title track is the standout.
Elvis Costello
3/5
I bopped along with this. Watching The Detectives was the standout, due to familiarity, but I quite enjoyed the rest of the album especially considering it was his debut. Not enough to put it into 4 star status, but it’s a high 3.
Talking Heads
3/5
My 365th album review! A pretty decent one to celebrate my first year through this project. It’s damn fine for a debut. It’s hard to believe a classic like Psycho Killer is among their first work.
Common
3/5
Is that - wait - yes it is - *wholesome vibes* I hear coming from these hiphop tunes? I will never be a hiphop convert, but I can appreciate these beats much more than their vulgar counterparts.
Count Basie & His Orchestra
3/5
I was excited to get this one, but soon realized that as much as I enjoy jazz, I don’t dig the big band stuff so much.
Talking Heads
3/5
Quite mediocre. Their debut was more engaging.
Simple Minds
2/5
Yeah, nah, this is sub-mediocre 80’s new wave shite.
The Who
5/5
I love it! This is by far my most-played album of the past year, it’s a joy to hear it yet again. My wife adores this album to the point that it now holds great nostalgic value to me.
A month or two ago I had lunch in a restaurant at Jay Peak, VT, and the song Tommy Can You Hear Me? played over the radio. I took a video of it to send to her, we joked that I’d been Tommied in the wild.
It’s getting the coveted 5 stars, first & foremost for sentimental reasons, but as well as that, it’s such a great jam.
Gram Parsons
2/5
I didn't care much for the music, but the guy has a fascinating Wikipedia page about the theft of his corpse from the hospital, followed by a partial cremation.
Stan Getz
4/5
A classic that reminds me lovingly of my Brazilian wife. We’ve listened to many of these songs together over the years.
Hot Chip
3/5
Frigid fries
The Who
3/5
Although I’ve become quite the fan of The Who over the past months, I didn’t think this live album was as breathtaking as it’s put out to be. It’s ok, but in my opinion, certainly not “one the greatest live albums and rock recordings of all time” as claimed in Wikipedia.
Guns N' Roses
4/5
What a classic 80’s rock album. One of the biggest & best of all time. We’ll likely never see bands of peak Guns N’ Roses’ calibre again in our lifetime.
Billie Holiday
3/5
It’s a sweet, elegant collection of vocal jazz tunes, great to have on in the background while cooking a Sunday dinner, but too soft for my day-to-day liking.
Jimi Hendrix
3/5
It’s better than Electric Ladyland, but I’m learning that I’m not as excited by Hendrix as I once was. I recall being in awe of him as a teen, but after completing the second of his albums via this project, his music just doesn’t speak to me any more. I’m can’t quite put my finger on the reason why.
Skunk Anansie
3/5
Interesting collection of tunes with a unique heavy sound. Worthy of a repeat listen.
Genesis
4/5
There was enough here to pull it into 4 star territory, although it’s on the lower side. I was engaged by the progressive folk sounds, it was quite unusual to hear such a blend of styles & instrumentation. This was the first time a Genesis album has captured my attention - attempts in the past have fallen flat.
The The
2/5
I had their album Infected a few months ago which I enjoyed and described as being akin to Midnight Oil. I didn’t feel the same about this album, it came across as the weaker one in my opinion, despite it clearly having the more popular tracks according to Spotify streams.
This Is The Day was vaguely familiar but overall there’s not enough here to push it beyond the halfway mark. I’m afraid it’s a 2.4 for me, rounded down to a 2.
Kendrick Lamar
1/5
This kind of music continues to sound like pure filth to me. Vulgar, obnoxious, thug life garbage. Complete and utter shite.
Yes, I acknowledge that within the genre this album is considered one of the all-time greats. I'm certain it possesses rich cultural heritage. I also recognized the quality of the jazz-influenced instrumentation. But altogether this culture is so alien to me, and I've heard enough of it through this project, to affirm to myself that nothing can ever be done to allow my ears to appreciate such sonic abhorrence.
PJ Harvey
2/5
Meh. Angsty, harsh, too distorted for my liking. Not for me.
The Auteurs
2/5
The most mediocre of all British alt-rock. Not sure how it made its way onto this list.
David Bowie
2/5
Not this bloody guy again. It’s been far too soon since the last instalment of Britain’s most overhyped performer.
The Louvin Brothers
4/5
I don’t mind a good murder ballad. This was quite good, albeit on the long side. Quality harmonies, a nostalgic golden oldie country & western feel, very interesting stories to say the least. Knoxville Girl was the standout - the juxtaposition between the brutal narrative and the easy-listening musicality is incredible. It takes me back to a memorably dingy bar I went to in London in 2008 where I saw a duo performing in a similar style. I browsed through some of The Louvin Brothers discography and loved the cover art for their album Satan Is Real. A high 3, just scraping past the threshold to round up to a 4.
Basement Jaxx
3/5
Listenable electronic music but nothing made me jump for joy
ABBA
3/5
A peculiar & unexpected ABBA album to be on this list. I don't recall hearing any of these songs before. All things considered, I liked it, it has a darkness that I didn't expect from such a poppy band.
Frank Sinatra
3/5
A good, chill, jazzy, easy listening collection featuring some all-time great standards. Nice one, Frankie Boy.
Neil Young
4/5
I'm not the biggest Neil Young fan in the world, generally I find his music too soft & wistful, but the fact that this record contains Heart Of Gold, Old Man and Needle pushes it into some pretty remarkable territory.
The Allman Brothers Band
3/5
It’s the second time I’ve listened to this album. Generally I enjoy this kind of progressive, southern jam rock, and I know this is considered one of the quintessential live albums, but I don’t feel it in the way I’d like to feel it. I mean, I want it to strike me on a visceral level - I really do - but my soul doesn’t buy it.
It is enjoyable to listen to. It contains some absolute masterful musicianship; the electric guitar shines down from otherworldly planes on more than a few occasions. These arrangements should send shivers down my spine, but alas, they don’t.
I wonder if it has to do with familiarity? I appreciate the Allman Brothers Band’s radio hit singles but they don’t appear on this album; perhaps the lack of the known contributes to my underwhelmed sensation?
Something did stir me between 12:03 to 12:47 of You Don’t Love Me. The hillbilly guitar part spoke briefly to my soul, although only for a short moment.
I vote overall based on how the album makes me feel, and it disappoints me to offer At Filmore East a mere 3, because from a technical and sonic perspective it rates much higher.
This was the most difficult album for me to rate among the project so far.
Prince
2/5
I didn't like this at all. Play In The Sunshine sounded awful, like it was recorded in a suitcase. The obnoxious squealing in Hot Thing was completely unneccesary.
I just can't do Prince.
PJ Harvey
2/5
And easy copy & paste of the last review I wrote for a PJ Harvey record:
“Meh. Angsty, harsh, too distorted for my liking. Not for me.”
Animal Collective
4/5
This was a slow creeper. I'd only ever spun a single Animal Collective song a decade ago, according to Last FM. I began with no expectation and finished with satisfaction.
My Girls was the clear standout. Guys Eyes had an interesting jive to it. Bonus points to Lion In A Coma for the jews harp. All 3 made it onto my playlist of top tunes, which doesn’t happen often.
Destiny's Child
3/5
When this came out in my teenage years I absolute despised it. My youthful, Australian country music-infused mind thought this was the epitome of obnoxious American trash music.
Nowadays, I suppose from gradual exposure, an opening of my once-closed mind, and the realization that much more obnoxiously trash music exists out there, I can tolerate Destiny’s Child. I wouldn’t re-listen any time soon, but I admit to bopping along with Independent Women and Survivor.
Miles Davis
3/5
Although I enjoyed the music, there were times where I didn't even realize it was playing; it sounded like it blended into everyday life. Upon reflection, it struck me as quite generic, for it to be so unnoticeable.
Heaven 17
2/5
Thankfully only 5 of the 9 tracks were available to stream on Spotify. That's 15 minutes of my life I don't need to waste on shitty electro new-wave.
Beatles
3/5
Not their best of the Beatles’ discography. It was ok.
Bob Dylan
3/5
His strumming style annoys me. Tangled Up In Blue was by far the best track; the rest: meh.
Harry Nilsson
3/5
The flagship version of Ken Lee. Coconut is a classic as well.
Motörhead
2/5
Pretty average, old-school hard rock, akin to Black Sabbath. I see a lot of talk online about Lemmy and how much of a supposed legend he was, but altogether his music isn't really my thing. The title track is alright though.
The Zombies
3/5
Time Of The Season is a classic, the rest was listenable but not outstanding.
Elis Regina
3/5
I love Elis Regina and have listened to her dulcet tones on repeat in the past, but I'd never encountered this collection before. I've heard records of hers that I would consider a high 4, but Vento De Maio comes in at a rather mediocre 3. From what I could gather, this is a posthumous release, perhaps not the best for inclusion on such a prestigious list.
John Coltrane
4/5
Great stuff! Coltrane, Tyner, Garrison and Jones kept my soul warm whilst out on a walk in the -18° Montreal winter. All four pieces were masterful but Psalm spoke to me the most. This absolutely deserves a repeat spin.
The Divine Comedy
3/5
I enjoyed his baritone and the obscure musicality. It was good for a single listen although it doesn’t rank highly in the repeatable factor.
The Verve
3/5
I like The Verve, but A Northern Soul has nothing on Urban Hymns. I don't think there's a need for this one to be on the 1001 list. Something in its melancholic electric guitar intro drew me into So It Goes, but the rest of the album sounded like pretty straightforward Britpop.
Antony and the Johnsons
4/5
This was a very enjoyable and entrancing new discovery for me. I was roped in by the obscurely ethereal first song, Hope There's Someone, and I remained at this level of curiosity and engagement throughout the album.
Crosby, Stills & Nash
4/5
Santa was good to me! I was happy to again hear this masterclass of fantastic songwriting and harmonies. The doo-doo-doo-doo-doo’s from Suite: Judy Blue Eyes stuck with me for hours afterwards. Helplessly Hoping has got to be up there with the greatest songs of its genre. A truly wonderful album.
The Stranglers
2/5
I was put off by the opening line: "Someday I'm going to smack your face". I'm not a fan of overtly violent lyrics like this. From a musicality perspective it was at least listenable. It didn't sound as obnoxious as some other punk I've heard over the months; this acts as salvation from a single star.
Rush
3/5
I see this album talked about on Reddit a lot as one of the greatest rock albums of all time. I’ve spun a small amount of Rush in my time but never 2112. I thought it was ok but not extraordinary. It has potential to grow on me after a couple of listens, but at first spin it comes in as a 3/5.
Queens of the Stone Age
3/5
Regular John was recognizable, and the guitar outro of You Can’t Quit Me Baby was the best part of the album. Pretty good rock collection going on here.
Van Morrison
3/5
This was a nice companion for my walk through a foggy, snowy Montreal day. The opening two tracks were phenomenal: And It Stoned Me and Moondance; but I lost some interest as the album progressed.
Fishbone
3/5
An interesting mishmash of sounds and genres going on here. One Day was my choice track, something about the funky bass/electric and the bi-dom-bom-bom-bom's tickled my fancy. I liked it for its variety and would potentially check out more of their discography.
Big Star
3/5
Another unmemorable, middle-of-the-range American rock band. I’m surprised I haven’t really heard their stuff before.
American Music Club
2/5
Too dreary an album to bring in the new year. They invoke bands like The Smiths and The Go-Betweens. I thought the opener "Firefly" was alright, but after a few more tracks it really started to drag. It's listenable, but not to my liking at this time, I need to be in a certain mood to get into this.
The Byrds
3/5
Not much to say about this one. Nothing stood out to me as exceptional, it was all pretty mediocre, but listenable.
Big Black
2/5
Obnoxious punk shite
Nanci Griffith
3/5
I’d never heard of her before but my first thought was of Kasey Chambers: surely she must have been heavily influenced by Nanci Griffith? There is a huge similarity in sound. And indeed, I’ve since discovered Chambers has covered Griffith’s songs before.
I probably won’t listen to Griffith again but it was mostly listenable. A low 3/5.
Morrissey
3/5
Not gonna lie, America Is Not The World was actually pretty funny. I respect that. I appreciated this album more than I thought I would.
Tom Waits
3/5
I had Swordfishtrombones about 6 months ago and I wasn't a fan at all. Something felt different about Rain Dogs though. It was remarkably varied, and the title track especially was quite the earworm. It's not enough to convert me into a true Waits fan but I'll still give this collection a hearty 3 stars.
Syd Barrett
2/5
I didn't think much of this. I understand Barrett was a genius in his own very unique way, but that didn't make this collection of tracks any more appealing to me.
Rush
4/5
Tom Sawyer is a pure classic. I loved it. This highest rating Rush album I’ve heard so far.
Leftfield
3/5
Satisfactory electronic tunes to ease this winter day
Afrika Bambaataa
2/5
It's not my cuppa tea but I much prefer this old-school 80's hip-hop over the vulgar NWA / Ghostface Killer kind of shite I've hear throughout this project.
Milton Nascimento
4/5
I quite enjoyed this. Brazilian music holds a special place in my heart, and apparently I’d spun a few Nascimento tracks in the past too (although I don’t remember them). Paisagem De Janela was the most memorable tune of the lot. An entry-level 4/5.
Patti Smith
2/5
Quite strange. I wasn’t expecting this punkish vibe or harsh vocal delivery. Not for me.
Sonic Youth
3/5
I thought the first half was better, it dragged on a bit in the second and felt harsher / more aggressive. A high 2, rounded up to a 3.
The Soft Boys
3/5
It was alright for a band I’ve never heard of before. I can see how they were considered rock underground. Definitely not a commercial sound but still overall listenable.
The Go-Go's
3/5
They found a sound and they stuck with it. Our Lips Are Sealed is a classic, the rest had more or less the same ambience.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
2/5
I love the cover art, but I can't say the same about the music. Quite uninteresting 00's indie.
Liz Phair
3/5
It's very early 90's indie, and I normally appreciate early 90's indie, but I'm not enraptured about Liz Phair and don't quite understand how it's such a critically-acclaimed album. I must say the instrumental opening of Canary was very nice, though.
Richard Thompson
4/5
I really enjoyed this. I'm somewhat familiar with the works of Richard Thompson and have more or less appreciated what I've heard of his so far, but this album kept me engaged me throughout. Great musicianship, clear & audible production, folksy with some edge and not too much on the hippie side. I would listen again and will happily explore more of Thompson in the future.
Malcolm McLaren
2/5
First track was ok, the rest was annoying and obnoxious. No thanks.
Tortoise
5/5
THIS is the kind of album I joined this project for! I’d never heard of Tortoise before but I really connected with them; I don’t often reach this level of engagement with an artist on the first listen. Djed was completely mystifying, it took me to a faraway land. The Taut And Tame sounded hypnotizing with the background helicopter. But my favourite was the closer, Along The Banks of Rivers. That twangy guitar is sublime. I have their subsequent album, TNT, queued up to listen to next.
I'm very conservative in awarding 5/5's. So far, such an honour has only gone to a very select few classic records that I have a deep level of familiarity with. I'm happy to announce that Millions Now Living Will Never Die is the first album I'm offering 5/5 to upon first listen.
Seriously, this was great. I'm genuinely impressed with this discovery.
The Stone Roses
3/5
A band I’m familiar with by name only; I’ve barely heard any of their work despite being well aware of their existence. Waterfall was a very nice song, it reminded me a bit of Godless by the Dandy Warhols. The other tracks were ok, it dragged on a bit, but decent enough for a solid 3.
Eric Clapton
3/5
I consider myself a Clapton fan, but I wasn’t so familiar with this collection aside from the Sheriff song. It wasn’t bad, but not at all my favourite Clapton album.
Adam & The Ants
2/5
I had absolutely no anterest in either Adam or his Ants.
Justin Timberlake
3/5
Much like Destiny’s Child, which I had recently, when this album was released my 18 year old ears couldn’t stand it. But today, 23 years later, I find it listenable and even enjoyable. Quite a few recognizable, radio-friendly hits. I enjoyed Like I Love You which I don’t recall hearing before, I liked how it was mostly made up of a single chord.
The Prodigy
3/5
Pretty good stuff. I recall thinking of this kind of electro-rock music as very extreme when I was in my teens, but today it’s quite listenable & enjoyable.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
4/5
I was surprised at how engaging this album was. The only tune I was familiar with was Oliver’s Army, a fantastically head-bopping piece despite a serious subject matter, but every other song had a similar upbeat feel. I would absolutely spin Armed Forces again with great pleasure.
Deerhunter
3/5
It’s my first time hearing of Deerhunter. It’s the epitome of American 00’s indie. Quite repetitive and drone-like at times. I enjoyed Memory Boy the most.
The Magnetic Fields
3/5
My second time listening to this monstrosity. It would have really pissed me off if it was a work day today, but thankfully I was travelling cross-US so I had time to kill with this rather extensive record keeping me company. It’s good music, a bit too indie for my liking, but nothing spectacular and of course two hours longer than it needs to be. Time Enough For Rocking When We’re Old was my favourite, it reminded me of Crash Test Dummies.
Ella Fitzgerald
3/5
I had 69 Love Songs on Tuesday and The Gershwin Songbook on Wednesday. What kind of cruel joke are the music gods playing on me?
Fitzgerald’s voice is magnificent, but the full 3:14 was far too much for album format.
Travis
3/5
The rain song is a 90’s masterpiece. The rest of the album is filler but it’s listenable filler.
Meat Puppets
2/5
I was trying to put my finger on where I’d heard of the Meat Puppets before and it all fell into place after hearing Lake Of Fire which Nirvana covered (I didn’t recognize Plateau or Oh, Me). They’re not really my cuppa tea. I’m giving them a 2, but it’s on the higher side because I quite enjoyed I’m A Mindless Idiot.
Jacques Brel
2/5
I just relocated after living for 3 years living in a French-speaking territory. Listening to this gave me PTSD.
Khaled
3/5
I enjoyed this guy, it was quite refreshing to hear some Algerian music. I’ll give him a 3 but it’s on the higher side of the scale. Imagine was out of place but I bopped along with the rest.
Kid Rock
3/5
I thought I’d cringe (well, to be fair, I did cringe), but the music was a lot more enjoyable than I thought it’d be. Quite a lot was recognizable too. Kid Rock was more ingrained in my mind than I imagined.
Echo And The Bunnymen
2/5
Yawn. Typical unexciting new wave
The Associates
2/5
I’m fed up with the crappy 80’s new wave. Please God, enough.
Brian Eno
3/5
Great album art. Quite experiential music. Pretty good but wouldn’t listen again.
Steely Dan
4/5
The best of the Steely Dan albums so far. I wasn’t such a fan of the others but this is the one that spoke to me. Do It Again is such a good opener.
Robert Wyatt
3/5
It’s incredible what a solid opener can do to an album! Heaps Of Sheeps was eclectic, eccentric, unique and highly engaging; I was invested from this moment on, although I thought it started to drag about half way through.
I’ve never heard of Wyatt before but looking over his history he has a fascinating life. I can’t begin to imagine how paraplegia would affect your creativity, but it appears Wyatt used this well to his advantage.
I was hung up about whether this was a 3 or a 4, it’s a high 3 in the end.
Lorde
4/5
3 albums in a row with an incredible opener. Green Light is a sure-fire BOOM!! I love it! The energy remained through the rest of the album too. I’ve listened to this a few times in the past and it’s always a pleasure to come back to. I’m happy to score it a 4.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
2/5
Nothing to see here but incessant, irritating noise.
System Of A Down
2/5
Hmm, I’m ok with some of Toxicity out of familiarity, but there’s not enough on their self-titled to keep me happily entertained. It’s a bit too harsh for my taste.
Bebel Gilberto
3/5
I'm very partial to Brazilian music and I love some bossa nova, but I was expecting more from the daughter of João Gilberto, if I'm honest. It's not that it was bad, she is clearly a very talented singer, but she doesn't have the same soul that I hear in the recordings of the classic singers. Nothing stood out to me and I wouldn't listen again in a hurry. It's on the higher side of 2/5 but just rounds up to a 3.
Sarah Vaughan
4/5
Sublime! I’ve never consciously taken note of Sarah Vaughan before, but this album leaves me wanting to know more. I loved the little mistake made at the end of Willow Weep For Me. It’s so real.
LCD Soundsystem
3/5
I didn’t connect with the bulk of the album, but I recognize that All My Friends was a thrilling creation. It made its way onto my favourites playlist.
Def Leppard
3/5
This collection didn’t contain any of my favoured Def Leppard songs. Quite mediocre.
Norah Jones
4/5
A modern classic. One of the golden voices of contemporary jazz. Don't Know Why and Come Away With Me are pure delights to listen to.
Slint
3/5
I found this to be pretty average, nothing to write home about. Good musicianship but it didn’t speak to my soul. It just rounds up to a 3, but it was close.
4/5
The best-selling album of 1973? I’ve never consciously heard of War before (although I had listened to a handful of tracks in the past according to Last.FM). This will be interesting…
Upon listening, my presumption was that with a name like War they’d be akin to Black Sabbath, when actually they were a soul band. That was unexpected.
It was pretty good, I’d say a high 3 rounded up to a 4. The standout was City, Country, City with its harmonica & sax fills. I’d listen to War again, this was a nice discovery.
Teenage Fanclub
2/5
I’m hearing a little Dandy Warhols, a little Hoodoo Gurus, a little Magnetic Fields too. I’m quite the fan especially of the first two listed, but Teenage Fanclub seems like a watered down version of the three. They’d probably grow on me if I spun the album 3 or 4 times, but I don’t have the inclination for this at the moment, so they’ll have to settle with a 2.
A Tribe Called Quest
3/5
Decent for a hip-hop album. I quite enjoy these guys compared to the obnoxious vulgar shite we get subjected to across this project.
R.E.M.
3/5
If you haven’t heard it before, check out Great Big Sea’s cover of End Of The World, it’s Celtic rock awesomeness.
Blondie
3/5
A couple of classics on this one, including a few I recognized but didn’t realize were by Blondie. I was never a major fan of this band but it was nice to hear a full album.
Lana Del Rey
3/5
The title track is very sweet, I recall hearing it before and I added it to my playlist. The rest of the album dragged on a bit but it was more or less enjoyable.
Jeff Beck
3/5
My first thought was that Jeff Beck sounds an awful lot like Rod Stewart, but I eventually realized what was going on.
One thing that struck me was that his version of Greensleeves was raw and unpolished compared to today’s standards. If someone today was to record a similar version it would be done to perfection with minimal noise and free of mistakes. I liked the authenticity of this version from 1968.
Overall it was pretty good.
2/5
"Noise rock". You're not wrong.
Madonna
3/5
Ray Of Light (the track) was a banger! I knew it but I had no clue it was Madonna. The rest of the album was listenable but I'm not the hugest fan of Madonna-ish pop so I'll take it or leave it.
5/5
Absolute top-tier album from a top-tier rock outfit. One of the all-time greats. The whole 50 minutes and 6 seconds remains a treat to this day. I’m still hopeful I’ll stumble upon tickets to this year’s tour.
Goldfrapp
3/5
Nothing special about this. It just makes it over the midway.
Randy Newman
3/5
I’d like to revisit this album again. I think it could grow on me. I recognize there was something particular about its lyricism, its storytelling, its concept, that’s worth delving into a bit deeper. I was familiar with Guilty via the Jimmy Barnes / Joe Cocker cover, this was the first time hearing the original version as far as I’m aware. For a first listen it was ok, a solid 3.
Mudhoney
2/5
Irritating grunge performed in a way I don't enjoy
The Prodigy
3/5
I never enjoyed The Prodigy when I was a young whippersnapper, mostly because there was a total jerk at school named Cameron, who would constantly blast this band through his shitty CD Walkman speakers and rave about how hardcore they were. This arsewipe of an excuse for a human later went to prison for being the ringleader of a highly illegal online forum, so I always associated his awful character with awful taste in music.
A quarter of a century later, here I am giving them another chance. This is their second album I've had as part of this project, and I realize they're not that bad; I got through both records without suffering from high school flashbacks. I knew Voodoo People, which I didn't even realize was by The Prodigy. They're not a collective I'd be quick to listen to again, but I can appreciate how they were so influential to 90's electronic/rave.
Can
3/5
I appreciated the experimental nature of these tunes but the music itself didn't speak to me so much.
Ice T
1/5
First and last time listening to this obnoxious twat
The 13th Floor Elevators
2/5
A poor man's Zombies. There's no reason for this to be on the list.
Ash
3/5
This was alright. I’m only really familiar with their song Burn Baby Burn, the tunes on this record didn’t quite go as hard, but it was worth a spin
Grateful Dead
3/5
I don’t get the cult following behind the Dead. To me this is standard folk/rock, I can’t pick anything about them that speaks to my soul.
Emmylou Harris
3/5
Queen Of The Silver Dollar struck me as the best of this collection, a toe-tappin’ happy singalong. It was good overall, I don’t mind a bit of Emmylou Harris in small-to-medium doses.
Bert Jansch
4/5
I really liked this. I added a few songs to my playlist of favourites, Strolling Down The Highway, Running From Home and Angie. Apparently I’ve listened to Jansch a handful of times in the past but this is the first time I’ve paid attention to him. He’s on a similar level to Nick Drake, another favourite I’ve discovered via this project, and he’s someone I will surely investigate further.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
Fantastic stuff. Lonesome Day and The Rising are my definite standout tracks, both very powerful and stirring, but the album as a whole has a lot of strength. It's a step above Darkness on the Edge of Town which I had earlier. I'm a big Springsteen fan primarily due to his output from around this era.
Derek & The Dominos
3/5
One of the all-time classics which I've spun a number of times, and it's certainly good, but there's a long way between the grandiosity of the album's title track and the B-sides. Layla is a true 5 star song; one or two others come in at 4, but the majority of the album tracks are more in the 2-3 range, leaving it overall at a 3. Seriously though, Layla's piano outro is one of THE ultimate moments in rock music.
D'Angelo
2/5
Hmm… talented guy, but this genre ain’t for me at all. I knew the Cruisin’ song but I didn’t like it. Gwyneth Paltrow did it better.
Ravi Shankar
4/5
This was a very good album. I’ve touched on Ravi Shankar a handful of times in the past but this is my favourite work of his that I’ve had the pleasure to hear. I appreciated his commentary. I was quite fascinated when he pointed out one of the common timings - the two sets of 5 beats - it was fascinating to hear how well this sits with Indian music. Although not something I’d tune into every day, I will certainly revisit this recording, and Shankar in general, in the future.
David Bowie
3/5
Bowie again? Enough!!!
Brian Eno
2/5
Brian Eno is featured in this project too much for my liking. I didn’t enjoy this album. In no way did it engage me.
King Crimson
3/5
A completely new discovery for me according to Last.FM, not a single King Crimson scrobble until today. It grew on me. It blended into the background to begin with but by Larks’ Tongues In Aspic (Part II) I’d become a bit more intrigued by its progressivity. I would listen to them again.
Kraftwerk
3/5
I can essentially repeat what I wrote last time these blokes came up: “standard old-school electronic tunes”.
I was even less of a fan of this album. The autobahn song went on for way too long and irritated me.
Overall a high 2, rounded up to a 3.
Kate Bush
2/5
I’m sorry Kate Bush but you irritate me. I didn’t enjoy this.
Kraftwerk
2/5
How many times does Kraftwork need to feature in this list? Once is more than enough but this is the third. If I wanted more music like this I’d refurbish my Commodore 64 and give the old SID chip a spin.
Super Furry Animals
4/5
This is a band I’ve been exposed to in recent years and I’ve quick become a fan. I love this kind of upbeat, quirky pop, they’re kinda like a Welsh version of the Barenaked Ladies. Juxtaposed With U is a fantastic song, and after reading the wiki I had to listen to Receptacle For The Respectable again to catch the celery & carrot (it’s too buried in the mix). There were a few other head-boppers in this collection too. Great stuff.
Devendra Banhart
3/5
I'd heard of Devendra in the past via a folk-loving friend who raved in an almost cult-like manner about how fantastic he was. Listened to a few tracks here & there over the years but this is the first album I recall listening to in full. It was ok. Very folksy indeed, but with an edge to it. No particular standout moment.
Randy Newman
3/5
I quite like Randy Newman, it's the second of his albums I've had now. I can't fully get into him; I've engaged with about half the songs per collection I've heard so far, but the ones I have engaged with I genuinely enjoy. I wasn't a fan of You Can Leave Your Hat on, compared to the Joe Cocker version.
Mariah Carey
2/5
Whingy, whiny, scrawny bloody voice
Wilco
3/5
Wilco is ok, it's chill, listenable folk/rock. I preferred their stuff with Billy Bragg. This album went on for a bit too long.
Christina Aguilera
2/5
Christina, Mariah, it’s all the same wibbly-wobbly whiny vocal gymnastics garbage. Yeah she’s talented but this kind of music grinds my gears.
Curtis Mayfield
3/5
This was an interesting album in that it's one of the few I listened to twice, because I wasn't sure how much I enjoyed it the first time around. Was there enough to warrant a 4 star? In the end I decided no, it's a 3. It's enjoyable, funky music, but not soul-stirring.
Shack
4/5
Well here's a band that's mostly escaped my radar, aside from a single, clearly unmemorable spin in 2014 according to my Last.FM stats. This was a great album. I love Britpop, particularly bands like James, Super Furry Animals, Oasis, Stereophonics, and Shack fit right in with this mix. Lend’s Some Dough was the standout track and has been added to my playlist of faves. I will explore more of their discography.
The Beau Brummels
2/5
A poor-man's lovechild of Bob Dylan and The Beatles.
The Human League
2/5
Typical British new-wave album feat. a heavily-played, recognizable radio single. Not my cuppa tea.
The Hives
3/5
Pretty rockin'. Hate To Say I Told You So is an '00's radio classic, the rest are alright. A low 3.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
What a record, a pure 70's classic. I enjoyed this, it had the perfect mix of familiar classic rock radio staples as well as a selection of tracks you don't hear so much on the radio, which are - and this is key - of very high quality. Every track had a reason to be there, I heard no filler. Before You Accuse Me was a nice surprise, I'd never heard the Creedence version of this, and I don't recall hearing the 11 minute version of Grapevine before, this was epic.
Daft Punk
3/5
I don’t mind Daft Punk, or this style of high-energy electronic music, but in small doses only. I found myself engrossed in the opening track, Daftendirekt, it was very sonically catching. The album went for a bit too long but it was decent, with 2 or 3 recognizable pieces.
Manu Chao
3/5
I appreciated reading the story behind this one, especially the anecdote about the cow he met in a Rio favela that gave him a new sense of purpose. It gave me a good context to appreciate the music even more. It wasn't enough to score a 4 but it's on the high side of 3. I respect Clandestino.
Kacey Musgraves
3/5
I know of Kacey Musgraves from her tour and work with Keith Urban, and I've listened to this album once before in 2019, but I don't really remember it. Slow Burn is such a great song! I've added it to my list of favourites. Actually it's my 4th time spinning it and I don’t recall the previous times, but I really took notice of it this time. The rest of the album was good quality but it didn't reach the same heights as Slow Burn. A high 3 overall.
The Blue Nile
2/5
Meh. This one was pretty meaningless to me. I have no intention of listening to The Blue Nile again.
Public Enemy
1/5
Absolute shite. The more exposure I have to this genre the more I hate it.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
A big album full of Bob Marley hits. I’m not super engaged with Bobby Boy in general, but this was a pretty enjoyable album to play during my evening walk.
The Who
4/5
Over the past two years I’ve been switched onto The Who by my wife who is quite the fan. I’ve not spun the entirety of My Generation before but I took great pleasure in it. Some quality tracks I don’t recall hearing before such as Out In The Street and I Don’t Mind, plus the rockin’ radio singles like The Kids and the title track. Good stuff.
Christine and the Queens
3/5
This was an interesting discovery. Very poppy, a bit too poppy for my overall liking. I appreciated the English and French versions of the songs. It was quite listenable although nothing in particular stood out to me.
The Mothers Of Invention
1/5
Ludicrous Frank Zappa Shit
Pixies
2/5
Pixies, schmixies. I didn’t care for this. Annoying and noisy.
Todd Rundgren
3/5
I enjoyed I Saw The Light, that's probably a 4/5 track in itself, but aside from that I didn't latch onto anything particularly special here. Nothing to complain about, mind you. It's a mediocre classic rock album.
Solange
2/5
I reacted to this better than I would react to her sister, but altogether it’s just not my jam
Jane Weaver
3/5
Never heard of Jane Weaver before, this was overall a decent listen, quite a nice voice and chill indie pop overtones to the music.
Muddy Waters
3/5
Some decent Delta blues going on here. I enjoyed I Got My Brand On You and Baby Please Don’t Go.
Jean-Michel Jarre
3/5
This record was very atmospherically fitting while riding the Sydney Harbour ferry during a chilly, rainy evening; particularly the final track with the high-pitched bird-like sounds.
Eels
3/5
I find The Eels similar to Beck or Billy Bragg in that I always anticipate not knowing any songs, but a couple turn out to be surprisingly recognizable. In this case it was Susan’s House, which I added to playlist of favourites. The album overall certainly isn't spectacular, but I didn't mind it.
Frank Sinatra
4/5
A peaceful and timeless album to listen to despite its melancholic subject matter. I didn't recognize any of these pieces, which points to their quality, considering I was engaged throughout.
Peter Gabriel
3/5
A couple of classic radio singles here, Sledgehammer and Don’t Give Up, both are 4-star songs. I was unfamiliar with the rest of the numbers but they were all satisfactory. A strong 3.
Jorge Ben Jor
3/5
Another Brazilian album, nice! I liked it, some interesting beats and melodies. Not my favourite of the Brazilian stuff here, I prefer the bossa nova, but still pretty good.
The Killers
5/5
A legit modern classic full of passionate, kick-arse, singalong rock songs. Three tracks were already on my playlist of favourites and I added two more after this spin. All These Things That I've Done is probably the standout, in my opinion. Let's do this, ladies and gentlemen... let's give it the 5 stars it deserves.
Digital Underground
1/5
Faux-erotic jazz-hop of the highly unimpressive variety. How in the name of The Lord And Saviour Jesus Christ did this stupid concept of an album end up on such a list?
Tears For Fears
4/5
My ears say cheers to Tears For Fears
The Velvet Underground
2/5
Dull hippie drivel. It was a total drag to get through this, I couldn’t wait for it to end.
The xx
3/5
They were one of the most popular bands around back in the late 00’s but I don’t really see the appeal of this lo-fi electronica. It’s ok for a single spin but it’s not engaging enough to be repeated often.
Deee-Lite
2/5
Groove Is In The Heart is the only saving grace on this album, and that’s only because of its familiarity. The rest was far too cheesy early 90’s for my liking.
Jethro Tull
3/5
Despite the title track being a classic, its riff has a dissonance that my ears find a bit obnoxious. The rest of the album is ok. I do appreciate Anderson’s generous dabbling of flute throughout.
Joni Mitchell
5/5
I’d heard bits & pieces of Joni Mitchell over the years but it wasn’t until last year that I started to really appreciate her and explore her discography a bit more. I’m a very happy convert. The combination of her raw, wispy voice with her soulful, open-tuned guitar is magical.
This is her flagship album as far as I'm concerned. California, River and A Case Of You are all examples of perfectly crafted songs. The remaining songs are of such a high standard that this is well-deserving of a coveted 5 star rating.
Cowboy Junkies
4/5
Despite living in Toronto for years, immersing myself in Canadian music and even becoming a Canadian citizen, somehow the Cowboy Junkies have only fallen within my radar today. What a classy & warm recording full of beautiful songs. I loved Blue Moon Revisited; admittedly the album swung too heavily on the woeful side a few times (I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry, Postcard Blues), but altogether worthy of a solid 4.
Frank Ocean
3/5
Some groovy beats going on here. Not really my type of music and no particular standout track, but I appreciated hearing it and would be happy with more Frank Ocean in the future. I see on Spotify that he's very popular, more than I thought.
Television
3/5
I recognized there was something different about the improvisational structure of these songs but couldn’t quite put my finger on it. Reading up about Television I saw they removed the blues element from their music and stuck to more lyrical rock / jazz lines. I agree with this; the album was pretty good.
Mike Oldfield
5/5
GET IN! This is a masterpiece of an album that I've been listening to regularly since my youth, thanks to dad's influence. One of my more memorable concert moments was seeing Tubular Bells For Two, featuring two very talented musicians performing the whole of Tubular Bells pt. I and II.
I'm taken on a musical journey through time and space every time I spin this. Mike Oldfield has certainly composed one of the all-time greats.
Gary Numan
3/5
Cars was good because of the familiarity. I didn’t care so much for the rest of it but it made for alright background music while cleaning.
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
Yes it's a beautiful album with some all-time classics, The Boxer, Bridge, Cecilia. Personally I'm not *huge* on Simon & Garfunkel, but I can appreciate them every now & again.
Hole
2/5
Angsty teenage drama put to obnoxious music
The Thrills
3/5
I’ve never consciously come across The Thrills before. The first two tracks, Santa Cruz and Big Sur were quite strong, I also enjoyed the final track Til The Tide Creeps In. It could become a 4 with some more exposure, but on first listen I’ll settle with a 3.
The National
3/5
I didn't mind this, it had a very Gang Of Youths feel (or does Gang Of Youths have a very The National feel?) Bloodbuzz Ohio was the standout, it was good enough to be added to my playlist of favourites. Sometimes consistency can be a drag, but I would note that these guys had a consistency that I appreciated.
Eurythmics
3/5
I forgot Love Is A Stranger was a Eurythmics song. Not a fan of Sweet Dreams, it's way overplayed. Not my favourite album. A low 3.
Lou Reed
2/5
Nah, I’ve had enough of Lou Reed throughout this project. Not my kinda music. Walk On The Wild Side was the only saving grace, but only out of familiarity.
David Crosby
3/5
It was ok. I much prefer Crosby in his band. This album didn’t have the same magic, but it was still listenable.
Incubus
3/5
A bit too on the heavy side but Drive is a killer 90's rock track. I feel like I Miss You got a bit of rotation back in the day too, it rang a bell. I know this is one of my brother's favourite albums; for me it's pretty solidly right in the middle.
Portishead
2/5
Yawn. Looking back over my history, I see that I didn't mind Dummy, but this one was like watching the grass grow.
The Kinks
3/5
Solid album. Waterloo Sunset is of course the standout, but the rest of the tunes turned out ok.
ABBA
4/5
Yeah, this is a good album. Full of hits, Dancing Queen, Fernando, Money, Knowing Me Knowing You. I was happy to have discovered Why Did It Have To Be Me, that was a foot-tapper! And I appreciated the instrumental track, Arrival. A smily 4 stars for this classic.
Arrested Development
4/5
Finally, a hip hop album I can actually say I enjoyed. I had some expectations coming into this based on what I’d read about it celebrating positivity, and those expectations were met. Mama’s Always On Stage immediately struck me as being highly listenable, I loved the inclusion of blues harp, and the rest of the record remained at a similar level of quality. It was very well produced. Unless there’s some big unexpected surprise waiting around the corner, this will likely be the only hip hop through this project that scores a 4 from me.
Femi Kuti
3/5
This was some good, funky music, and I really appreciated Kuti’s prior album I heard here, but I thought this one went on for a bit too long. It started to drag.
Blur
3/5
Pretty decent Britpop going on here. The radio singles are great fun, the rest of the album was boppy enough. This one is ok for an occasional listen.
Linkin Park
3/5
Less obnoxious than I thought it’d be. I’ve always written Linkin Park off as being a shitty nu metal band for emo teens but I didn’t mind it, even the album tracks packed some quality. A decent spin.
The Chemical Brothers
3/5
Mostly repetitive, electronic buggery, but the album redeemed itself with Where Do I Begin. Which, to be fair, is also repetitive, electronic buggery, but I happened to appreciate it more than the rest.
Fats Domino
3/5
Fats does alright, but I thought I’d be into him more than I was. He’s definitely skilled on those keys. A rock pioneer but perhaps a little dated to listen to today.
Belle & Sebastian
3/5
I had a friend who raved on and on about how wonderful and awe-inspiring this band was. I don’t understand. They’re just ok.
Tom Waits
2/5
There is an old man called Tom Waits
Who, vocally, gristles and grates
To some: he's proficient
To me: insufficient
And deserves rather low-scoring rates
Van Morrison
3/5
Standard and rather unexciting live album of mediocre 70's numbers which didn't do much to draw me in. I don't understand how this is considered one of the best live albums of all time.
Arcade Fire
4/5
This takes me back to the good old days of Triple J. Neon Bible was one of the first full albums I remember properly connecting with along my J's journey and it rocked. Both the Car songs are up there but Intervention is my pick of the bunch. Great music, great memories.
Girls Against Boys
2/5
Mediocre is too positive a word for this album. There's nothing special about this alt-rock collection. Move along now, nothing to see here.
Lucinda Williams
4/5
This was very good. I was familiar with the tracks Car Wheels On A Gravel Road and Can't Let Go but the remaining numbers were pretty new to me. Right In Time has been added to my playlist of faves. It's a very well-produced album with fantastic instrumentation and an all-round great Americana country/folk sound.
Country Joe & The Fish
3/5
I like these guys for I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die-Rag but their other material on this album isn't anywhere near as strong.
Sigur Rós
5/5
Purity, beauty and serenity all in one. I'm a Sigur Rós fan for many years - Takk... being one of my all-time favourite albums - but Ágætis Byrjun is well up there with the best too. Svefn-g-englar is a true sonic journey. I love it.
k.d. lang
4/5
I have fond memories of this album from my childhood. In 1995 my parents bought a 5-disc CD player for the family and k.d. lang's Shadowland (mum's choice) was one of those first 5 CD's that graced its tray. I'm Down To My Last Cigarette remains imprinted in my memory from these days.
Venom
1/5
Obnoxious, unnecessary and generally shit kind of music. Go away.
Bonnie Raitt
3/5
Pretty much exactly what I'd expect a Bonnie Raitt album to sound like. No standout moments but it was well-listenable.
Fugazi
2/5
Fugazi and this style of music in general is not for me, I'm afraid. This was 42 minutes of annoying background noise that I couldn't wait to finish.
Bobby Womack
4/5
Excellent opener which set the scene for a great album. So Many Sides Of You was all kinds of funky and foot-tapping, followed by an equally-as-soulful second track, Lay Your Lovin' On Me. I can see how If You Think You’re Lonely Now was the biggest hit from this release. Soul music can lead me to cringe sometimes but I didn’t get this feeling from The Poet. This is the epitome of cool.
I've never knowingly listened to Bobby Womack before. I'm genuinely pleased with this discovery.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
For a record I’ve never spun before I was surprised at how many tracks I recognized, particularly Wild Roses, Death Is Not The End and Henry Lee. I do enjoy a good murder ballad. This was a great album, quite iconic for its genre. I'm learning through this project that I really enjoy Nick Cave's body of work.
N.E.R.D
3/5
I don't have much familiarity with these guys but I appreciated the album. A decent mix of rock and hip-hop. I'd listen to more.
Emmylou Harris
3/5
A sweet, pleasant, chill record to listen to. The title track was the standout. Nothing here that was super engaging but altogether I liked it.
Scott Walker
2/5
There’s a reason why Scott Walker is not a household name in this day & age
The Charlatans
3/5
I felt drawn to the heavily-compressed acoustic guitar on You're A Big Girl Now. Aside from that, it was a pretty standard example of Britpop.
Eagles
4/5
Quality stuff. Not The Eagles' best output but it's fantastic nonetheless. I enjoyed the array of non-radio tracks which I don't hear quite so often.
Megadeth
1/5
I'm absolutely not in the mood for this shit today
Common
1/5
Last time a Common album came up I praised it for being wholesome. I can’t say the same for this one. Pure trash, just like 98% of all other music of this trashy genre.
SZA
1/5
This is my third 1★ rating in a row. What an awful week this has been. This is garbage! Go away!
The Beach Boys
3/5
This was a very nice moment in this project from the dev, given the recent news of Brian's passing. I'd never heard a single track from Surf's Up before so it was a completely fresh spin, but I appreciated it.
Pavement
2/5
Basic alt rock, nothing interesting.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Not bad for Leonard Cohen. I’m not the biggest fan of his but I got through this album ok. I was familiar with Everybody Knows, it’s my favourite track from the bunch. Although, I’m Your Man had a creepy vibe to it, it turned me off a bit. Scoring it snack bang in the middle.
The Dictators
2/5
I guess it was supposed to be satirical but it’s merely immature and obnoxious.
Ali Farka Touré
4/5
An enjoyable album and a nice discovery, I can’t say I know much African blues. I really liked this vibe. Would listen again.
The Gun Club
1/5
Promise Me shat me to tears with its awful percussive noises featured within. I was so uninterested in this punk shite that at some stage I read a news article about how Ed Sheeran won his legal case regarding Thinking Out Loud vs Marvin Gaye’s Let’s Get It On. I straight away scooted off to listen to them both, gleefully forgetting that I was halfway through my album of the day. Both songs were a million times better than anything The Gun Club had to offer, and I’m glad Sheeran won the case.
Coldplay
4/5
A 2000's classic. Rich, beautiful and haunting; a testament to good music which holds up 25 years later. I just love Coldplay's earlier output. I forgot how great a song Shiver was, I hadn't heard that in a long time.
Death In Vegas
3/5
It took until the very last track for me to find one to engage with. Neptune City (Andrew Weatherall mix) was quite hypnotizing. I didn't care much for the rest, but its saving grace was enough to push the album from a 2 to a 3.
Incredible Bongo Band
3/5
This was a good novelty. Not good enough for any new favourite tracks, but I appreciated hearing these songs covered in a relatively obscure bongoish manner.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
2/5
The pronunciation is as obnoxious as the music. Carcass had a promising introduction with the thick power chords, but then I heard her voice. No thanks.
Marilyn Manson
1/5
I couldn't stand this guy as he rose to fame during my early teens and I still can't stand him today. He's a trash human being with a trash creative output which holds absolutely no place in my life. This album is a piece of shit.
Alanis Morissette
5/5
I remember sitting at Hungry Jacks (the Aussie equivalent of Burger King) with my family, circa 1995, when Hand In My Pocket came on the restaurant radio. I'd been made aware of this new song via my group of friends, largely due to the fact that it featured a very naughty lyric. I waited patiently to see what would happen, and much to my disbelief, without the tiniest bleep of censorship, Alanis exclaimed at the top of her angsty lungs: "I'm brave but I'm chicken shit". My 11-year-old mind was blown.
Roni Size
3/5
It was ok, I'm not much of a drum & bass fan but I didn't mind this. It was listenable. Not worth a repeat spin though. A low 3.
Beck
3/5
The least memorable Beck album so far. It wasn't bad, I would consider listening again, but it was lacking standout / strong tracks that other albums of his have had.
Astor Piazzolla
3/5
I started off not being so interested but by the final two tracks I was quite engaged. Never heard of the bandoneon before.
Neil Young
3/5
I really think every Neil Young album sounds the same. It’s ok but I don’t get the hype.
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
2/5
He sure had an abnormal & interesting life, but the music doesn’t do much for me. I considered a 3 during the first couple of songs but he lost me to monotony by the halfway mark.
Frank Black
2/5
Very mediocre music, but at least now I know who the Bloodhound Gang are referring to in the roof is on fire song
Paul Simon
3/5
Strangely, according to my Last FM stats, I've never spun this album in full before. I thought I would have. Considering it's one of the all-time greats, I was a tad underwhelmed. Its hit singles are fantastic but I couldn't help but think "filler?" on Gumboots and Crazy Love Vol II. Was this due to lack of exposure in the past? Maybe. On first listen it's only deserving of a 3; perhaps subsequent listens with more familiarity will raise it to a 4.
Ozomatli
4/5
Based on what I was able to scrounge of this album on YouTube, I really enjoyed this band. They're one of the few artists I've encountered here with hip-hop influences who I can get behind. Believe was a banger. I'd happily listen to more Ozomatli and I'm not sure how they hadn't crossed my path thus far.
1/5
God help me. Just when I thought it couldn't get any more awful, I got to the Outro.
MGMT
4/5
Bloody good stuff. Solid pop going on here. Great album.
Paul Revere & The Raiders
2/5
Pretty average 60's rock. Nothing outstanding here.
4/5
My out-loud reaction to the first 20 seconds of the first track was literally: "What the fuck is this, mate? Holy shit!!"
Bugger me dead, this is some seriously unique music. I love it as much as I hate it. It's fantastic yet it shits me. It's entrancing yet cartoonishly chaotic.
I'm up to track 4 now, Good Old Days. My reactions continue: "Shit's crazy. This is nuts... completely nuts."
Altogether a fabulously crazy discovery here along the road to 1001, well worthy of a high accolade. This is, indeed, an album I am happy to have listened to prior to my impending death.
Missy Elliott
1/5
Words cannot express how much I hate the song Work It.
I hadn't heard it for years - perhaps a decade or more - in fact, I'd gone as far as mercifully erasing its entire existence from my mind. Now that it's very rudely invited itself into my life again, I cast my thoughts back to when it was popular in my university days and how I recognized then that it was the most obnoxious, hideous, distasteful shit that had ever forced its way into my eardrums. The grating, gimmicky instrumentation, Elliot's insufferable attitude mixed with her abhorrent gangster accent, the vulgarity of the lyrics, the infuriatingly ridiculous "yer perminipi mwem yurkle" trash that spews from her mouth - everything about it is repulsive beyond measure.
Here we are 23 years later and nothing has changed. I CANNOT STAND THIS PATHETIC EXCUSE FOR A SONG AND I HATE THAT I WAS SUBJECTED TO IT TODAY. I OFFICIALLY CROWN "WORK IT" THE MOST DETESTABLE PIECE OF MUSIC IN EXISTENCE. MISSY ELLIOT, TIMBALAND, I PERSECUTE YOU BOTH FOR CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY. MARCH STRAIGHT TO HELL WITHOUT AS MUCH OF A BACKWARDS GLANCE TO EITHER OF YOUR FAMILIES, AND TAKE YOUR GOD-AWFUL INCOMPLETE CONSTRUCTION WITH YOU.
I swear to god, if the Spotify algorithm ever dares to inject a single Missy Elliot song into my Discover Weekly or Release Radar due to my endurance of this album, I will torch my device in a bonfire of rage and curse its ashes to oblivion.
Update: I paused the album and returned to it later in the afternoon, because I’m determined to listen to every one from start to finish, including those I despise. Only to find that damn awful song rears its ugly head one again at the very end, this time featuring 50 Cent. This is the worst day of music in my life.
Public Image Ltd.
2/5
This kind of music isn't my thing. I don't mind its experimental nature but the instrumentation, his annoying vocal delivery (see: Poptones and The Suit) and general sound of it doesn't do anything for me.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
It had a couple of good songs, namely Under My Thumb and Out Of Time. The rest weren't bad. A pretty satisfactory rock album all round.
Kate Bush
3/5
My claim to fame is that I once worked with the guy from Warner Music who ended up negotiating the use of Running Up That Hill in Stranger Things.
The White Stripes
4/5
We're Going To Be Friends is a song I've only become familiar with recently thanks to the Conan podcast and I bloody love it. It's such a jam. Fell In Love With A Girl is clearly the most popular of this album - it's also a great song, but weirdly, I didn't recognize it. How can this tune have evaded me all this time? A solid rock album. The White Stripes have provided pretty consistent happy moments along this project.
Erykah Badu
2/5
Erykah Badon't
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
I initially shuddered at the thought of another Neil Young album, but upon pressing play I was pleasantly surprised. It’s my favourite of Young’s offerings so far despite not being familiar with a single tune. Country Home and Over And Over are the standouts and have both been added to my playlist of favourites. However, I did not like Farmer John. Altogether deserving of a solid 4.
The Jam
3/5
A pretty average alt-rock offering. Didn't care for it, but it was also listenable.
Wilco
3/5
This was on the disappointing side. I read the Wiki before I listened and was expecting wonderful things, given that it's their most critically acclaimed album, but it didn't excite me at all. I still think Mermaid Avenue which they did with Billy Bragg was their best output; I yearn to hear more Wilco of a similar vein. A low 3.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
I’ve been left relatively disappointed by the Hendrix albums in this project so far, but something stood out about this one. It contained mostly unfamiliar songs, but it had a markedly more mature sound and superior sonic production to Are You Experienced, while being less obnoxious & in-your-face than Electric Ladyland. It’s the only of his three albums so far that I would happily listen to a second time. A high 3 for this decent output, rounded up to a 4.
Wu-Tang Clan
1/5
I hate that my 150,000th song scrobbled on Last.fm was from this album. There’s not much greater garbage than this to ruin a milestone. Pure shite.
Doves
3/5
Actually this was half decent. Nothing stood out to me as incredible, but it made for a pleasant afternoon indie rock spin. Apparently I've listened to these guys quite a few times in the past, but I can't remember them at all.
Pere Ubu
2/5
As one notable music critic once stated, “harsh and willfully ugly”
The Roots
2/5
The Seed (2.0) is a really good song. It’s a shame about the rest of the album.
Isaac Hayes
3/5
Actually this was half-decent. I enjoyed Hayes' soul. It's not something I'd listen to every day, but for a first spin, I thought it did pretty well.
Fairport Convention
2/5
Not as bad as the previous Fairport Convention album that came up, Unhalfbricking, but still only worth two measly stars.
Björk
2/5
Björk, spörk.
Black Sabbath
3/5
I was never a big Black Sabbath fan, but this was a reasonably good and listenable album. FX was an unnecessarily interesting track, I liked its inclusion.
Isaac Hayes
3/5
Hmm, two Isaac Hayes in the space of a week. I prefer the Shaft soundtrack. This one was ok but unnecessary for this list.
Gang Starr
1/5
"In 2007, it was named the greatest hip hop album of all time by IGN"
Christ almighty....
Moby Grape
3/5
I quite liked these guys. They had an interesting, complex rock sound, incorporating some folk and country elements, without coming across as too pretentious or hippie-ish. I guess for its time it would have been quite a revolutionary album. I'd happily discover more of their discography.
Neu!
4/5
Woah, I wasn't expecting this! A quality collection that sounds much more modern than it is. I was impressed with the overall experimental chill jive from this album, which shifted to something a little more upbeat & alternative towards the end. I've added Neu! to my list of artists to look further into in the future.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3/5
Meh. This was a low 3. It wasn't bad but there was nothing about it that excited me.
The Velvet Underground
3/5
This was an album of drones. Heroin was full of drone. Then Black Angel’s Death Song had more drone. Followed by European Sun with even more. I can understand now how the infamous Lou Reed + Metallica album came to fruition.
Os Mutantes
4/5
A Minha Menina is a fantastic song, it's a wonderful fusion of Latin-influenced psychedelic rock. I was quite familiar with it already - it already features on my playlist of favourites - and I'd spun this album once in the past too. The remainder of the album is good, albeit not spectacular, but A Minha Menina is enough to push it into high 3-star territory, rounded up to a 4.
Soft Machine
3/5
Cool tunes. Not my favourite jazztronica in the world cause it sounds a little dated, but for it's time I'm sure it was groundbreaking stuff.
The Beta Band
3/5
I was skeptical that I'd like this upon reading the Wiki, it sounded like it'd be overly hip-hop (not my jam), but it didn't turn out that bad. Based on my limited exposure to The Beta Band, they're generally forgettable, but this album was ok. Better than Heroes To Zeroes.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
I’m not at all a fan of new wave, particularly the Pet Shop Boys, but I found nothing off-putting about this album. Not sure if I was in a particularly receptive mood or if was actually good music.
Roxy Music
2/5
I had preconceived ideas about Roxy Music that were much more positive than what I heard throughout the course of this album. It’s nothing like their upbeat classic rock radio hits.
SAULT
4/5
Ohh, this was good. I couldn't care less for the politics but I really enjoyed the tunes and overall vibe, which is interesting cause soul / RnB is not normally a genre I'd actively listen to.
I was walking through Melbourne Airport at the time of listening, and an alarm started beeping at the baggage carousel which was the exact same rhythm of the song Bow. I had to pause the music at one stage to check if it was really an external beep I could hear.
Talking Heads
4/5
This was quite good. It’s the first full Talking Heads album that I’ve genuinely enjoyed. The electro instrumental jams were epic. I’d listen again for sure!
Good stuff for an old band, it still sounds fresh and rockin' today. Stay With Me is a banger. Gotta love ol' Rod.
Gene Clark
3/5
Pretty ordinary folk/rock. Nothing to write home about. I can understand why it didn’t chart well in the US.
Saint Etienne
2/5
Yawn. I recall hearing Only Love Can Break Your Heart in the past. The rest was very average.
Tito Puente
3/5
Decent run-of-the-mill Latin tunes
Sisters Of Mercy
2/5
More new-wave crap
Van Halen
3/5
More-than-reasonable classic power rock. The singles from this album are always a good listen. The album tracks, which I don't recall hearing before, were all typical Van Halen, but nothing grabbed my attention in the way the singles do.
The Sugarcubes
3/5
The first Bjork album so far that’s worth more than a 2. An acceptable level of squeak and squark.
MC Solaar
3/5
Considering I can't stand rap / hip-hop, this actually wasn't so bad. It makes a difference when you don't understand the obnoxiousness of the lyrics. You only have the music & the beat to focus on.
Talking Heads
3/5
This Talking Heads was a bit too early for my liking. It was too new wavey. A high 2, rounded up to a 3.
Pretenders
3/5
Big fan of the Pretenders’ singles but haven’t heard too much outside their greatest hits. They’re overall pretty good. Brass In Pocket is of course the standout on this collection.
2/5
What a bore. Bob Dylan is monotonous at the best of times; there’s no need for an hour & a half of torturous live renditions of his songs.
Radiohead
4/5
Radiohead are one of my greatest discoveries along this project. I’ve never appreciated or paid much attention to them in the past, but OK Computer, my 6th album of theirs, was a pleasure to listen to.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
Quite a lush, modern and epic production, but not my favourite Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds album. Too many synths, not enough piano. I preferred the melodrama and track length of the second disc, it brought me in a bit more than the first side.
Marvin Gaye
3/5
Decent soulful album with a consistent sound from start to finish.
Adele
4/5
I love that the guy from Semisonic cowrote Someone Like You
Eminem
2/5
I frickin' hated this album as a teenager when it first came out. My mates were all into it but I wanted to vomit every time I heard his "Chicka Chicka Slim Shady" blast through the speakers of their souped-up Toranas and Tercels as they drove aimlessly up & down Townsville's Strand and Flinders Street East. This music was completely foreign to my 16 year old, country music-loving ears. To this day I'm not fond of the obnoxious vulgarity of the album, although it's redeemed itself a little with time, and I certainly don't find it as bad as NWA, Ghostface Killer, Public Enemy and other such trash that's been dished out via this project. I'll give it two stars, the second of which comes purely from the nostalgia of my youthful years.
Fred Neil
3/5
I didn't care much for this album until the mysterious Cynicrustpetefredjohn Raga came on. The open tuning, Indian vibes and and dissonant harmonica captured my attention like not many other songs do. It was quite unexpected and out of place, but I really dug it. On it's own it's a 4 star track, although not quite enough to push the whole album into 4 star territory.
Rocket From The Crypt
3/5
This wasn’t terrible. I’m generally not an enjoyer of punk but there was something about their guitar mix that exhibited a seriousness, a maturity. I wouldn’t actively seek them out, but as a one-off spin it was alright.
Barry Adamson
3/5
Pretty good instrumental tunes going on here. I’d need a couple of spins to fully appreciate it but at first play I’d say it’s a mid-3
Stereolab
3/5
Better than MasterFoods; not as good as Rosella
Abdullah Ibrahim
3/5
It sounded a bit too dated and cheesy, it didn't whet my jazz appetite as much as other selections I’ve had here
John Cale
3/5
Your average 70’s folk
Happy Mondays
3/5
Some strangely recognizable tunes in this collection. A pretty unique sound. Not bad.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
4/5
This is the best output by RHCP. The album came out around the time I was a young and impressionable teen and I connected with these tunes relatively well, given that I was much more into traditional country than the modern rock/pop music of the time. Californication, Scar Tissue and Otherside were all played to buggery on the radio but Road Trippin' was always my favourite.
The Doors
3/5
Mmm, one of those classic rock bands that I think are too overrated in today’s day & age. A couple of great singles but no care for the album tracks.
Cocteau Twins
3/5
Cocteau Twins are fun to listen to every now & then but they're not a daily thing. I preferred Heaven or Las Vegas. Treasure didn't have quite the same staying power.
James Taylor
4/5
This was really nice. Taylor has such a silky smooth voice, it's incredible. I'm very familiar with the hit radio single from this album but I hadn't heard much of the rest. Oh Susannah took me by surprise, I loved it! Altogether a very high quality release.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
2/5
Slightly better than The Scream but still not aurally enjoyable
Beatles
4/5
I hadn’t dwelled much on this album in the past but this spin reminded me just how great a song In My Life is. What a beautifully nostalgic little guitar riff.
U2
2/5
I've realized after listening to War that U2 - at least, this generation of U2 - are a new-wave band masquerading as a rock band. I hear little difference between this and The Police, Talking Heads, The Cure etc. I've heard my fair share of New Year's Day and Sunday Bloody Sunday via Classic Rock Radio to fool me into thinking they were big boys of rock, but among this collection, I heard them differently.
Anyway what I'm trying to say here is that I'm not at all a fan of new wave, and by extension, neither am I a fan of this album.
Ryan Adams
4/5
Now this is what I call a good discovery. I've never really gotten into Ryan Adams before, but this album has given me a different perspective. I was taken in by the first track, New York, New York, and remained engaged through the remainer of the record. This is fantastic road tripping music., I can just imagine blasting this with the windows wound down along a sunny outback highway.
Bee Gees
2/5
Hmm… clearly a lot of effort went into this recording, I can tell it’s a proper work of art, but it’s not for me. This is not the Bee Gees I know and love. I struggled a bit to get through this.
David Ackles
2/5
This was unusual. Not to my liking. A bit too dated and bland.
Nirvana
3/5
Mr. Cobain is an angry man who uses some not very nice words.
Cyndi Lauper
3/5
I got into the car and the next song to play was He’s So Unusual. I couldn’t hear it properly so I turned it up. I still couldn’t hear it and thought something was wrong with my Bluetooth connection so I turned it up some more.
45 seconds later my poor ears caught the very loud BANG BANG drum intro to the next song. I quite nearly crapped myself.
Brian Eno
2/5
Eno takes up too much real estate around here
Janis Joplin
4/5
Quite an enjoyable album. I knew Bobby McGee and Mercedes but I felt engaged enough by the rest to round it up to an overall 4. She had a very unique voice.
Dion
2/5
A *very* average album. Not sure why it's on this list.
Fleetwood Mac
3/5
I think Fleetwood Mac are the greatest band of their generation, but Tusk falls flat compared to their other output from this period. Aside from the title track there's not too much here to fully engage me, as much as I want to be drawn in. Not even Sara, the second most popular track from this collection, would score greater than a 3 in my opinion.
The Lemonheads
3/5
The title track, It's A Shame About Ray, and Kitchen, were both nice discoveries. Mrs Robinson was of course the standout. An ok album. The Lemonheads have a couple of bangers in their repertoire but they also scraped together a lot of fillers.
Elastica
2/5
Nope. Far too ordinary to be part of this list, in my opinion.
Simply Red
3/5
I didn't realize Holding Back The Years was Simply Red. Ok album. Nothing to write home about.
Quicksilver Messenger Service
3/5
This was pretty good. Some good experimental hippie 60’s instrumental material going on here. Nothing remarkable, but certainly listenable. A high 3.
Fatboy Slim
3/5
Reasonable 90's electronic music. I didn't like this stuff as it came out, but I've grown to appreciate it a bit more.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
Unlike many other artists, I much prefer Bruce Springsteen’s more recent material over his older stuff. Pre-2000’s Springsteen isn’t as interesting to me as post. Born To Run feels strangely flat compared to The Rising, Devils & Dust, Working On A Dream etc. It’s still good - just not great, in my opinion.
Michael Jackson
3/5
This is Michael Jackson in his relative innocence. I quite liked it. Not a big MJ fan in general but I could tolerate this quite well.
Hawkwind
3/5
Luckily I was in the mood for some repetitive psychedelic drone today as I embarked on my afternoon walk through the western suburban streets of Sydney. Were today a Monday in the office, an album of this genre and length would have severely irritated me. Aside from the stupidity of Sonic Attack's lyrical rant, it made for an ok listen.
Iggy Pop
2/5
I’m much more entertained by Biggy Pop, Iggy Pop’s parrot.
The Clash
2/5
I don’t like this punk stuff.
Soundgarden
3/5
A really solid rock record. It's on the slightly-too-heavy side for my liking, though. I can absolutely agree this is a classic for its genre, and it's deserving of a 4 for that reason, but unfortunately it just doesn't emotionally move me, so I'll have to downgrade it to a 3 based on my feelings.
Einstürzende Neubauten
4/5
I will never listen to this shit again, but as a one-off it was bloody hilarious. I loved it. Those crazy Germans...
Weather Report
4/5
I really enjoyed this! I admit I initially judged it based on the look of the cover and the name "Weather Report". I cringed, thinking this would be folk hippie tripe similar to Fairport Convention or The Incredible String Band (vomit!!), but my oh my, was I pleasantly surprised at this delectable collection of jazz fusion. Birdland is a fantastic piece and made its way straight onto my playlist of faves. I will research more of their work for sure. A happy new discovery.
Sebadoh
2/5
Bland alt rock. Not interested.
The Streets
3/5
Chav rap. Much more tolerable than gangster rap.
Run-D.M.C.
2/5
Yell rap. Didn't like.
Sepultura
1/5
My brain was dead enough already after a hugely long day at work, I really didn’t need this
Pantera
2/5
A braindead "mate" of mine back at school loved the song Walk. It was the only song he knew how to "play" on guitar. I associate Pantera with "braindead" because of this guy. I'm "giving" it a second star purely out of familiarity.
Dr. John
2/5
Completely unremarkable. Next.
Iron Maiden
2/5
Too heavy and obnoxious for my general liking, not a big fan of Iron Maiden
Ramones
2/5
No, I didn't get into this despite the Ramones being a very influential band. Not my cuppa tea.
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
4/5
Great album. Full of classic tunes and rich folk harmonies. I’ve become quite the fan of CSN(Y) in recent years.
Adele
3/5
Yes, very quality tunes by a quality singer. Great stuff, although I don’t emotionally connect to this kind of music so well. Three stars from me.
Black Sabbath
3/5
Apparently it was genre-defining, I guess you really had to be there to understand its full gravity. To me, it was ok.
Van Morrison
3/5
Nothing special about this. To me, Van Morrison had two hits and neither of them were part of this album. A high 2, rounded up to a 3.
Astrud Gilberto
4/5
I know Astrud Gilberto quite well from Água de Beber and have spun one or two of her albums in the past, but this was a first for Beach Samba. It was very pleasant. The final track, It's A Lovely Day Today, was my pick of the bunch, I much prefer this tune in bossa nova style as opposed to Ella Fitzgerald's jazzy version.
Ice Cube
2/5
Altogether pretty awful, as is the overwhelming majority of this genre, but it had some kind of redeeming quality in that the music didn't come across as obnoxious as other hip-hop. I certainly wouldn't listen to this shit again, but at least I wasn't desperate to rip out my earphones and throw them into oncoming traffic, like I was with NWA.
CHIC
3/5
Pretty funky. A decent jive.
Marvin Gaye
2/5
Every song on this one sounded just like the last; just like every other MG tune that’s ever been released. And it was far too long. I had to split it across multiple listening sessions because I got too bored. I didn’t like it at all.
Elbow
5/5
This is a wonderful album that captured my full attention in 2012, not long after my housemates at the time invited me out to Sydney's Hordern Pavillion to see Elbow in concert. I’d heard a handful of their tunes before, but experiencing the magic of the One Day Like This audience choir sent me head over heels; it remains to this day one of my most memorable live music moments.
Every tune on this album has a reason to be there. They’re perfectly placed. From the cinematic extremities of the opener, Starlings, through to the energetic Grounds For Divorce singalong, to the lonesome dynamic of Tower Crane Driver, to the aforementioned anthemic highlight of One Day Like This, there aren’t many albums that reach artistic beauty in the way The Seldom Seen Kid does. This is contemporary music at its finest.
Gil Scott-Heron
3/5
It was alright, on the funky side of jazzy. Not my favourite of this genre but still quite listenable.
Turbonegro
3/5
Pretty good standard rock tunes. Never heard of these guys but it was a decent discovery.
Scritti Politti
2/5
I heard 30 seconds of this and went straight to r/EveryoneKnowsThat to see if Scritti Politti were ever a suspicion. Indeed they were. Far too synthy pop for my liking.
Klaxons
4/5
This brings me back a good decade or two. I remembered Golden Skans and It’s Not Over Yet from its heavy Triple J rotation back in the day, I don’t think I’ve listened to Klaxons since then. A good piece of nostalgia.
Gorillaz
3/5
Don’t think I’ve heard a full Gorillaz album before aside from the radio singles. It was ok.
Muddy Waters
4/5
This was good. Mannish Boy is such a quality song, and the rest of the album held up a similarly gritty blues feeling. I would absolutely listen again.
Johnny Cash
4/5
Great stuff. I like how he played San Quentin twice in a row, you can’t get away with that otherwise but Johnny Cash did. This is real music.
Madonna
3/5
I never realized Cherish was a Madonna song. I was surprised by the quality of the album, I normally scoff at Madonna and don’t think I’ve ever spun LAP in full before, but it was quite listenable.
Q-Tip
1/5
I had it on as background music, completely uninterested and ready to score it a 2. About halfway through I moved it to earphones where I could listen more actively and thought, nope this shit ain’t worth a 2. All American hip hop is the same old trash.
Sufjan Stevens
4/5
I’m not sure how I got through life largely ignoring Sufjan Stevens. I’d heard his name come up on indie radio and web forums every now & then but this is really the first time I sat down to listen to a full body of his work. It’s wonderful. The song that captured my attention the most was Decatur, or, Round of Applause for Your Stepmother!
Air
3/5
Although I’ve never played this album before, I’m certain I’ve heard it in its entirety just from time spent in hotel lobbies and overpriced bars with floor-to-ceiling windows in years gone by.
Buffalo Springfield
4/5
I really enjoyed this. It’s the first Neil Young record I’ve fully appreciated. I’d definitely heard Mr. Soul before but had no idea it was by Buffalo Springfield. I was a big fan of the heavily compressed acoustic guitar in Bluebird. And I loved the faint saxophone in the background of Sad Memory.
Rahul Dev Burman
2/5
Bollywood is a genre I’ve really not explored in the past. I won’t do much exploration past this. I found this to be very cringy.
The Stooges
1/5
This is the epitome of monotony. We Will Fall was pure lethargy. Ann was meaningless noise. I can’t stand Iggy Pop, nor can I fathom how others find him enjoyable.
Stevie Wonder
3/5
A Stevie Wonder record without a radio single is exactly how I’d expect a Stevie Wonder record without a radio single to sound.
Red Snapper
2/5
I normally enjoy these ambient instrumental records but this one, not so much. I was put off by The Rough And The Quick. It was far too thirsty - the musical output I’d expect from a horny teenager - and honestly ruined the whole vibe of the album for me.
Beth Orton
2/5
I remember seeing her face on the CD cover at the music shop I used to work at and being intrigued by the type of music she would play. I never got around to listening back in those days though. Which I’m perfectly ok about because I didn’t miss anything special.
The Undertones
3/5
Again, pretty decent, non-obnoxious punk. I don’t think there’s need for a second album of theirs on this list but whatever.
OutKast
3/5
This is an example of music that’s aged well on me. If I’d recorded this double album back when it came out I’d have surely given it 1 star, but with time I’ve somehow come to respect OutKast a bit more, to the point where I even enjoyed the majority of tracks on this (albeit far too long) offering. I’d also totally missed that The Way You Move - a true banger - was by OutKast.
Dennis Wilson
2/5
This was an hour & 25 minutes too long, there was no need for a double album. The music itself was alright, nothing exciting, although I did appreciate his Don Henley-esque voice. Look, I’m rounding this down to a 2 because of the extreme length. If not for that it would probably have made the 3.
Jungle Brothers
2/5
Too 80’s, too hip hop, obnoxiously American. Not for me at all.
Suede
2/5
Monotony. Still Life was the only song to vaguely catch my attention. This album shouldn’t be on this list.
Tricky
3/5
I didn’t mind this. Not my go-to genre but it was very chill & easy to listen to. I did enjoy this more than I enjoyed Massive Attack.
Genesis
2/5
Genesis are unfortunately one of those bands that - in my opinion - are only good for their radio hits. I just can't get into their albums. There wasn't a single track on this collection that I connected with. Meh.
Supertramp
3/5
How is School the most played song on this album? I’ve never heard it before, and I thought I knew Supertramp pretty decently. Bloody Well Right and Dreamer are absolute bangers which bring me back to my teenage years listening to them on breakfast radio, but the rest is filler.
Throwing Muses
2/5
Robert Dimery wasted my time once more
Dinosaur Jr.
2/5
The Just Like Heaven cover was the only saving grace, and even that’s a stretch.
Sparks
2/5
No thanks, too much cheesy 80’s glam stuff going on here
Michael Kiwanuka
3/5
Interesting & different soulful album, I enjoyed it and can see how it won the Mercury Music Prize. Not quite enough for a 4 but it's a high quality 3.
Primal Scream
3/5
I didn't really care for this Primal Scream record. Movin' On Up was a cool tune but I had vague interest in it aside from that. It's a high 2 rounded up to 3.
Traffic
3/5
To have been a 70’s stoner. Very psychedelic. Not bad.
Pixies
2/5
I knew Where Is My Mind. I didn’t know, neither did I care, for the rest
Robert Wyatt
2/5
Nope, too outdated and uninspiring
David Gray
4/5
I really like this album. Gray's creations are melancholic, yet not to the point of depression. They pull at the heartstrings just enough to invoke a yearning. A deep sense of nostalgia. White Ladder will surely remain on rotation for many decades to come.
4/5
What a classic. I recall this being THE Triple J album of 2006. Although I never bought the album, I heard it in its entirety more than a few times thanks to its constant airplay. These days I occasionally revisit its hits but upon this morning’s full spin I rediscovered my love for Invincible - I’d forgotten that one to time. And of course, Knights of Cydonia is of one of the most epic rock productions of the century.
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
2/5
I didn’t find this interesting at all
Ananda Shankar
3/5
Yeah this was interesting. I was quite the fan of this album due to its difference from the vast majority of other material here, although I wouldn’t necessarily rank it as a favourite… there’s only so much Moog/sitar a bloke can handle. I enjoyed Light My Fire the most and added it to my playlist. Overall a high 3.
Frank Zappa
4/5
I shuddered at the thought of this because I’ve utterly despised all of Zappa’s works that I’ve heard so far via this project, but finally I stumbled upon the one and only collection that’s moved me. This was actually really good. It perfectly fit my chaotic ‘thinking while walking home from work’ mood that I was in today.
The Afghan Whigs
3/5
Generic 90’s alt/rock. Not bad but certainly not mindblowing either.
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
3/5
This guy really puts the alt in alt-country. It's good background music but never something I'd listen to actively. Perhaps if it had a bit more upbeat/major energy; it was all a bit much on the depressive side for my liking.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
Dude should add more fibre to his diet
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
I've said it before and I'll say it again, but I'm of the mind that Springsteen's best work has been post-2001. I would go as far as to say I love everything he's released since The Rising. His earlier stuff just doesn't cut the mustard for me, particularly Nebraska.
Tina Turner
2/5
Not a big fan of old Tina Turner, I’m sorry. WLGTDWI is great, a classic, but I didn’t care enough for her raspy voice to appreciate the rest.
The Isley Brothers
3/5
Some funky versions of rock songs. I didn’t expect Listen To The Music. Pretty reasonable stuff.
Grant Lee Buffalo
3/5
No major opinion on this. Listenable